Bénéfices et risques de l’ibuprofène chez les enfants fébriles : revue systématique de la littérature en vue de la réalisation d’un outil écrit d’information à destination des patients

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Drug information, as it appears in package leaflet, lacks relevant encrypted data for the patient. The aim of our research was to propose a written model of drug information inspired from the concept of the "Drug Facts Box", about ibuprofen in children with fever. To this end, we carried out a systematic review of systematic literature reviews ("overview") to look for data on the benefits and risks of ibuprofen compared to placebo, paracetamol or a treatment alternating or combining paracetamol and ibuprofen in children with fever aged 0-18 years. 9 systematic reviews were included from the Pubmed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases. 1 clinical practice guideline and 2 documents published by the French Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) and the French Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé (ANSM) were also included. Paracetamol and ibuprofen have a comparable efficacy and safety profile in children with fever. A low increased risk of adverse reactions to ibuprofen is to be feared in specifics clinical situations (chicken pox, pneumonia, angina). Treatments alternating or combining paracetamol and ibuprofen can further lower the temperature compared to paracetamol or ibuprofen alone, but there is no evidence of improved child comfort. The limited data available on the adverse effects of these treatment regimens suggests that they should not be routinely recommended. There is little evidence of the comfort of the febrile child even though it is the primary objective of antipyretic treatment.