A systematic review on the safety and efficacy of metamizole sodium as a therapy for the treatment of fever in children and adults

Abstract

Aim. To systematically analyze existing publications from available scientific databases (PubMed, Cochrane, eLibrary) for the period from 2018 to 2023 on the treatment of fever in children and adults with metamizole sodium (MS). Materials and methods. A systematic review of scientific publications on the efficacy and safety of MS therapy for fever in adults and children compared to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was conducted. Six randomized clinical trials involving 884 patients (101 adults and 783 children) were included in the analysis. Results. In all studies, MS has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing fever in both children and adults when used for short-term therapy. MS is superior to paracetamol, ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid and not inferior to nimesulide and propacetamol in terms of effectiveness in reducing body temperature between 1.5 and 6.0 hours after oral intake. It has been shown that treatment of fever with MS is a safer strategy compared to other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as it has no clinically significant risks of gastric mucosal irritation, development of gastrointestinal bleeding and erosions. It has been established that therapeutic doses of MS do not lead to an increase in blood pressure, and in some cases contribute to hypotensive effect, especially in fever in adult comorbid patients with arterial hypertension. Conclusion. MS is an effective treatment for fever in children and adults.

Keywords

• metamizole sodium
• fever
• safety
• antipyretic agents
• antipyretic effect
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs