Don't Use More Than 400 mg of Ibuprofen for Pain Control

Doses of 600 or 800 mg of ibuprofen did not provide better short-term pain control than 400 mg in this randomized, double-blind study.

Large doses of ibuprofen are often used for emergency department (ED) patients, despite evidence that doses above 400 mg increase rates of side effects without improving pain control. To test the hypothesis that the analgesic ceiling of ibuprofen is 400 mg in an ED population, researchers randomized a convenience sample of 225 adults with acute pain to doses of 400 mg, 600 mg, or 800 mg. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy or breast-feeding, history of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, renal or hepatic insufficiency, and altered mental status.

Most patients had musculoskeletal or cutaneous pain. The mean baseline pain scores on a 10-point scale were 6.5, 6.4, and 6.5 in the 400 mg, 600 mg, and 800 mg groups, respectively. At 60 minutes, mean pa…

Reviewing Author

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Don't Use More Than 400 mg of Ibuprofen for Pain Control

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Reviewing Author