Professional Documents
Culture Documents
application in nursing. Research was performed to analyze evidence previously presented on the
question, is ibuprofen or acetaminophen is safer or more efficacious in the treatment of mild to
moderate pain in the pediatric population. Two clinical research trials and one Meta-analysis of
the data was reviewed and analyzed. The results show that ibuprofen is more efficient at
reducing pain than acetaminophen, though this was not a unanimous conclusion based on the
data. Acetaminophen is often thought to be safer than ibuprofen, as ibuprofen has been known to
cause gastrointestinal problems such as bleeding, ulceration, and obstruction (Adams, Holland,
& Urban, 2014, p. 233-234). Ibuprofen versus Acetaminophen for pain management of children
Introduction
The purpose of this assignment is to present evidence based research to support nursing
practices and decisions related to patient care. This paper will assess nursing research findings
as well as data to be applied to clinical practice in the pediatric population. This paper will
discuss the safety and efficacy of ibuprofen versus acetaminophen for pain management and
fever reduction.
Clinical Question
According to Mendleco and Potts (2012), Many health care professionals are under the
impression that children do not experience pain, or are less sensitive to pain than adults; effective
pain management promotes wound healing and is important for psychological well being.
Studies have shown improved outcomes when infants are given anesthesia and post-operative
pain medications in morbidity and mortality rates as compared to those who did not receive these
interventions (Mendleco & Potts, 2012, n.p.). This being said, it is reasonable to conclude that
Methodology
During the course of several classroom sessions, students were required to identify a
clinical question of interest to research. During several clinical rotations at local hospitals,
prescribers decision for selecting a particular analgesic pain medication over another. Several
types of combinations were inquired about before selecting the over-the-counter controversial
topic of acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain control.
For the purpose of this review, several databases including PubMed, CINAHL, and
Academic OneFile were searched using the keywords: Acetaminophen AND Paracetamol AND
ibuprofen AND NSAID AND pediatrics AND children AND emergency room AND ER AND
pain. The results were then filtered to research less than eight years old and nursing research plus
one Meta Analysis. Articles were reviewed for threats to validity. Two random controlled trials
and one Meta Analysis were selected for the purpose of this assignment.
Results of random control trials and Meta-analysis studies were reviewed for quality and
relevance. Only the most recent or cited research was reviewed for inclusion. Articles omitting
ibuprofen or acetaminophen in the trial were immediately excluded as were trials those that did
not contain children in the study participants. Studies including more than one alternate
medication for analysis in addition to the previously stated medications were not considered for
this assignment.
Discussion of Literature
Clark et al. performed a double-blinded, randomized control trial to determine
which medication was more effective in relieving musculoskeletal pain; ibuprofen,
acetaminophen, or codeine. The patients were children aged 6 to 17 who sustained a
musculoskeletal injury within 48 hours prior to seeking medical attention at childrens hospital in
Ottawa, Canada. Exclusions were based on allergies to any of the study medications, required
resuscitation, had an open fracture, had an intravenous line in place, had a cognitive impairment,
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