Ibuprofen as a Possible Preventer of Post Bronchoscopy Fever
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Scientific background: Bronchoscopy is a procedure commonly performed in the management of
persistent respiratory illness. In the last decades this exam has become a routine and safe
procedure even in children and there are few side-effects. However, one known side effect is
transient fever and even high fever a few hours after the bronchoscopy. This side effect is
not dangerous but very uncomfortable for the patients and it would be interesting to try to
reduce this phenomena. This fever is due to a release of cytokines during the
broncho-alveolar lavage procedure and not to sepsis. In a previous study a single dose of
dexamethasone was shown to prevent the fever post bronchoscopy with no apparent detriment to
the child. It is well known that steroids are immunosuppressive. Even though the
post-bronchoscopy fever is not caused by an infection, it seems preferable to use other
anti-inflammatory drugs to fight this very inconvenient side effect.
Ibuprofen (Nurofen*) is known as an effective medication to reduce fever in infectious
illnesses and is even considered as superior to paracetamol. It has no immunosuppressive
effect and is usually well tolerated by children with very few side effects when taken in the
normal therapeutic dose of 10mg/Kg. The investigators postulate that a dose of Nurofen prior
to bronchoscopy could significantly reduce fever post bronchoscopy.