NSAIDs (like Ibuprofen) Important Cause of Kidney Injury in Kids
NSAIDs like ibuprofen can injure children
Medpage Today reported on a study recently published in the Journal of Pediatrics that found NSAIDs like ibuprofen are a common cause of kidney injury in children. Read excerpts below or the complete article here:
Exposure to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a common cause of acute kidney injury in children and teens, researchers found.
The results "lead into the question of whether renal functions should be obtained as per routine before the administration of NSAIDs," the authors wrote.
The acute kidney injury was considered related to NSAID exposure only if the patients did not have another diagnosis that explained it, a chronic condition that increased susceptibility to it, or exposure to other known nephrotoxins...
{Due to ruling out all other patients in this study] "we may have underestimated the role of NSAIDs as [a cause] of acute kidney injury in children."
The most common agent used in the cases of NSAID-associated acute kidney injury was ibuprofen (67%). Naproxen and ketorolac were also used, and most patients for whom dosing information was available (75%) received doses within the recommended limits.
The age of the patients with NSAID-associated acute kidney injury ranged from 6 months to 17.7 years (median 14.7 years).
Children younger than 5 fared worse than their older counterparts. The younger children were more likely to require dialysis (100% versus 0%, P<0.001) and admission to the intensive care unit (75% versus 9%, P=0.013), and had a longer median length of stay (10 days versus 7 days, P=0.037).
NSAIDs like ibuprofen are often used for pain or fevers in children. The risks associated with taking these common medications are often overlooked, even when proper doses are used. In addition to kidney injury, gastrointestinal injury and increased stroke risk have been recognized in otherwise healthy adults. Children are always more susceptible to injury from medication. It's important to use caution, especially when giving them to children. Try conservative treatment like chiropractic care and good nutrition first whenever possible to avoid worse problems like kidney injury in kids.
Exposure to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a common cause of acute kidney injury in children and teens, researchers found.
The results "lead into the question of whether renal functions should be obtained as per routine before the administration of NSAIDs," the authors wrote.
The acute kidney injury was considered related to NSAID exposure only if the patients did not have another diagnosis that explained it, a chronic condition that increased susceptibility to it, or exposure to other known nephrotoxins...
{Due to ruling out all other patients in this study] "we may have underestimated the role of NSAIDs as [a cause] of acute kidney injury in children."
The most common agent used in the cases of NSAID-associated acute kidney injury was ibuprofen (67%). Naproxen and ketorolac were also used, and most patients for whom dosing information was available (75%) received doses within the recommended limits.
The age of the patients with NSAID-associated acute kidney injury ranged from 6 months to 17.7 years (median 14.7 years).
Children younger than 5 fared worse than their older counterparts. The younger children were more likely to require dialysis (100% versus 0%, P<0.001) and admission to the intensive care unit (75% versus 9%, P=0.013), and had a longer median length of stay (10 days versus 7 days, P=0.037).
NSAIDs like ibuprofen are often used for pain or fevers in children. The risks associated with taking these common medications are often overlooked, even when proper doses are used. In addition to kidney injury, gastrointestinal injury and increased stroke risk have been recognized in otherwise healthy adults. Children are always more susceptible to injury from medication. It's important to use caution, especially when giving them to children. Try conservative treatment like chiropractic care and good nutrition first whenever possible to avoid worse problems like kidney injury in kids.
