Abstract

CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OF IBUPROFEN IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

Prof. Gian Maria Pacifici*

ABSTRACT

Ibuprofen is a propionic acid derivative and is a non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor. Ibuprofen is formulated for intravenous, oral, or rectal administration and after oral and rectal dosing is rapidly and completing absorbed. The ductus arteriosus is closed with ibuprofen at the dose of 10, 5, and 5 mg/kg on days 1, 2, and 3, respectively, after birth. Ibuprofen controls fever and pain in infants and treats fever, pain, inflammation, and rheumatic disease in children. Ibuprofen has been found efficacy and safety in infants and children but may induce adverse-effects. The pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen have been studied in premature infants and in children, the] pharmacokinetic parameters of ibuprofen vary, and the mean elimination half-life of ibuprofen is about 40 hours in premature infants and about 1.5 hours in children. Following an oral dose of ibuprofen, the mean time to reach the peak concentration is 3 hours in premature infants and 54 min in children. The treatment and trials with ibuprofen have been reviewed in infants and in children. Ibuprofen interacts with drugs, penetrates into the cerebrospinal fluid in significant amounts, causes effects in human brain, and poorly migrates into the breast-milk. The aim of this study is to review ibuprofen dosing, efficacy and safely, adverse-effects, pharmacokinetics, treatment, and trials in infants and children and ibuprofen closes the ductus arteriosus, interacts with drug, penetrates into the cerebrospinal fluid, exerts effects in human brain, and poorly migrates into the breast-milk.

Keywords: adverse-effects, breast-milk, cerebrospinal-fluid, children, dosing, druginteraction, ductus arteriosus, efficacy and safely, human brain, ibuprofen, infants, pharmacokinetics, treatment, and trials.