Ibuprofen use and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients

E. Rinott, E. Kozer, Y. Shapira, A. Bar-Haim, I. Youngster

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

116 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: It was recently suggested that ibuprofen might increase the risk for severe and fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and should therefore be avoided in this patient population. We aimed to evaluate whether ibuprofen use in individuals with COVID-19 was associated with more severe disease, compared with individuals using paracetamol or no antipyretics. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study of patients with COVID-19 from Shamir Medical Centre, Israel, we monitored any use of ibuprofen from a week before diagnosis of COVID-19 throughout the disease. Primary outcomes were mortality and the need for respiratory support, including oxygen administration and mechanical ventilation. Results: The study included 403 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with a median age of 45 years. Of the entire cohort, 44 patients (11%) needed respiratory support and 12 (3%) died. One hundred and seventy-nine (44%) patients had fever, with 32% using paracetamol and 22% using ibuprofen, for symptom-relief. In the ibuprofen group, 3 (3.4%) patients died, whereas in the non-ibuprofen group, 9 (2.8%) patients died (p 0.95). Nine (10.3%) patients from the ibuprofen group needed respiratory support, compared with 35 (11%) from the non-ibuprofen group (p 1). When compared with exclusive paracetamol users, no differences were observed in mortality rates or the need for respiratory support among patients using ibuprofen. Conclusions: In this cohort of COVID-19 patients, ibuprofen use was not associated with worse clinical outcomes, compared with paracetamol or no antipyretic.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1259.e5-1259.e7
JournalClinical Microbiology and Infection
Volume26
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Sep 2020

Keywords

  • Antipyretics
  • Coronavirus disease 2019
  • Disease severity
  • Ibuprofen
  • Paracetamol

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases

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