Ibuprofen and skin and soft tissue superinfections in children with varicella.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possible association between ibuprofen use and dermatologic superinfections among children with recent varicella infection.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study of children in Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a health maintenance organization in New England, was conducted. Outcomes and exposures of interest were identified from automated medical and pharmacy records. Exposure was defined by dispensing of ibuprofen before varicella to avoid potential confounding by indication.


RESULTS
Between July 1, 1990 and September 30, 1994, 89 superinfections developed among 7,013 cases of varicella. The 30-day risk of superinfection was 7.2/10(3) cases (95% CI = 5.8-8.8/10(3) cases). Four of 169 children dispensed ibuprofen within 180 days of varicella developed superinfection. Relative to children without prior use, children with ibuprofen dispensed in the month prior to varicella were 3.1 times more likely to be diagnosed with a superinfection (95% CI = 0.1-19.7; P-value: 0.31). Restriction of outcomes to superinfections treated with systemic antibiotics increased the odds ratio to 5.1 (95% CI = 0.1-32.5; P-value: 0.22).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study are consistent with a broad range of effects including no association and suggest that further study is needed.
Choo
P W
PW
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Donahue
J G
JG
Platt
R
R
D017677:Age Distribution; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009511:New England / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015163:Superinfection / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007052:Ibuprofen