Introduction: Ibuprofen is a drug widely used in children who underwent elective tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy because compared to the other Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) it is considered a safe drug with a low risk of postoperative bleeding.
Areas covered: We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing ibuprofen vs. placebo or not-NSAIDs drugs in children aged up to 17 years of age, who underwent elective tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy. We searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane from 1990 through 30 April 2019. We searched www.clinicaltrials.gov for relevant ongoing studies. Our primary outcome was postoperative bleeding requiring surgical intervention. Secondary outcomes were postoperative bleeding not requiring further surgical intervention, the need for blood transfusion, nausea, vomiting, prolonged hospital stay, postoperative pain, and adverse events related to ibuprofen administration. The database search yielded 1227 patients from 7 studies.
Expert opinion: Given the imprecision of our estimates, the quality of evidence very low/moderate and the few RCTs identified, the results of this analysis were consistent with either a benefit or a detrimental effect of the administration of ibuprofen and do not provide a definitive answer to the review question. Further studies are needed on this important topic.
Keywords: Bleeding; Ibuprofen; Pain; Pediatric Anesthesia; Systematic review; Tonsillectomy; Vomiting.