Acetaminophen plus ibuprofen and ibuprofen alone are equally effective in reducing fever.
Fever is one of the most common reasons for pediatric office visits and a source of anxiety for parents. Although we educate families that fever does not require treatment, parents often want to use antipyretics to provide some relief. Previous studies have shown that acetaminophen and ibuprofen alone is better than placebo for reducing fever and that ibuprofen is better than acetaminophen (JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Jul 26 2004). To compare the effectiveness of these agents, investigators randomized 156 children (age range, 6 months to 6 years) who had temperatures between 37.8°C and 41.0°C to receive acetaminophen alone (15 mg/kg every 4–6 hours), ibuprofen alone (10 mg/kg every 6–8 hours), or both drugs in alternating order (determined rando…