Anti Fever Drug is Dangerous for Children's Kidney

When the child had a fever, parents usually will instantly give fever-lowering drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve). Yet according to a new study, drugs that fall into this type of NSAIDs can cause serious kidney damage.

However, the risk of kidney damage will most occur in children with fever once dehydrated, the side effects of the attacks in addition to flu-like illness with vomiting and diarrhea. These findings obtained after a joint team of researchers from Indiana University and Butler University analyzed the medical records of 1015 patients treated at Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University Health between the years 1999-2010.

After ruling out cases of acute kidney injury caused by factors such as chronic kidney disease, researchers found that 27 cases or 3 percent of cases were dealt a serious kidney injury hospital occurred in children known to be taking NSAIDs.

Even the seven patients in the study published in the Journal of Pediatrics reported to have suffered permanent kidney damage, while four other young patients requiring renal dialysis.

"In such cases, renal function should be monitored over the years, including attention to the cost of treatment a significant amount, especially if you consider the use of alternatives that acute kidney injury due to his consumption of NSAIDs can be avoided," said Dr. Jason Misurac, a specialist in pediatric nephrology and researcher of this study.

It's long been known that vomiting and diarrhea as a side effect of flu and fever can deplete the supply of body fluids so that the patient is dehydrated. From there, researchers suspect that children are dehydrated when flu may face a greater risk of kidney damage due to NSAIDs restrict blood flow to the kidneys as organs filter blood.

"One alternative to NSAIDs are acetaminophen (Tylenol), but other alternatives may not consume any drugs, at least temporarily, so that the body can fight off the infection on its own," advises Dr. Misurac as quoted from huffingtonpost, Monday (01/28/2013).