Efficacy and Safety of NSAIDs in Infants: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature of the Past 20 Years

Effectiveness and safety of Tuina massage therapy for paediatric fever: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

To systematically analyse the efficacy and safety of Tuina massage therapy for paediatric fever.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases, and it retrieved relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) up to November 2023. Fifteen trials (1,661 pediatric patients) were included, focusing on Tuina massage and tepid water massage. Studies were excluded due to: duplicate data, irrelevant types, incomplete outcomes and use of other interventions. The Cochrane RoB tool was employed to assess methodological quality, and the GRADE approach was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence. The review was registered with the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (INPLASY), registration number INPLASY202270041, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Massage treatment (120 min) showed a non-significant difference (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.68; 95% CI: - 0.31-1.67) compared with antipyretic medication. However, combining antipyretic medication and massage significantly reduced fever (SMD: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.50-1.30). Subgroup analysis indicated traditional Chinese Tuina massage significantly reduced pediatric fever (relative risk [RR]: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.26-0.65).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis suggests that traditional Chinese Tuina may be a promising adjunctive therapy for pediatric fever. Careful consideration of each child's specific conditions is necessary to ensure safety and comfort. Future research should enhance study design quality and broaden the scope of non-pharmacological treatment methods.

Improving Postoperative Pediatric Recovery by Efficient Recovery Room Care-A Comprehensive Review

Background/Objectives: Efficient postoperative recovery room care in pediatric patients is crucial for optimizing perioperative safety, patient outcome, and effective pain management. However, this area is frequently underemphasized, leading to higher complication rates compared to the operating room, which in turn increases healthcare costs. Improving pediatric recovery room care offers a significant opportunity to enhance the quality and safety of perioperative pediatric care. From an economic perspective, this is prudent; however, more importantly, every child has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, as outlined by the United Nations. Key aspects of recovery room care include ensuring adequate staffing and equipment, while also prioritizing the child's privacy and parental presence, both of which are crucial for enhancing patient well-being. A +multimodal approach to postoperative pain management is essential for minimizing fear and stress, alongside strict adherence to established guidelines for the management of postoperative nausea, vomiting, and emergence delirium. Furthermore, addressing risk factors such as hypothermia and airway complications, as well as promoting early intake of clear fluids, plays a crucial role in optimizing pediatric recovery. Organizational strategies such as quality improvement initiatives, structured handovers, standardized care protocols with checklists, continuous staff training, and well-defined discharge criteria are further essential components to reduce translational gaps and to enhance postoperative pediatric safety. Conclusions: Improving pediatric postoperative anesthetic care is a multifaceted challenge for all healthcare providers that can significantly enhance care quality and safety while also reducing costs. Success in this area requires addressing both structural and medical factors.

Antipyretic Effect of Dexibuprofen Versus Ibuprofen in Children With Fever Caused by Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

Dexibuprofen is the pharmacologically active enantiomer of ibuprofen. However, its application as an antipyretic in children with fever caused by upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) requires more evidence. This study aimed to compare the antipyretic effect between dexibuprofen and ibuprofen in children with fever caused by URTI. Totally, 281 subjects were randomly assigned to the dexibuprofen (N = 142) or ibuprofen (N = 139) group at a 1:1 ratio. The subjects in the dexibuprofen or ibuprofen group were administered dexibuprofen + ibuprofen mimetic solution or ibuprofen + dexibuprofen mimetic solution 1-4 times per day. Dexibuprofen was considered at least as effective as ibuprofen if the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the mean difference in axillary temperature change at 4 hours was greater than -0.3°C. The axillary temperature change after 4 hours was 1.3°C in the dexibuprofen group and 1.4°C in the ibuprofen group. The difference in axillary temperature change at 4 hours was -0.10°C (95% CI, -0.27 to 0.09°C) between the 2 groups, and the lower limit of the 95% CI was greater than -0.3°C, suggesting a comparable antipyretic effect of dexibuprofen to ibuprofen. The axillary temperature change from baseline, rates of normal axillary temperature at 4 hours, time to normal axillary temperature, and disease-related symptoms at 24 or 48 hours were not different between the dexibuprofen and ibuprofen groups (all P  > .05). The incidence of adverse events did not differ between the 2 groups (all P > .05). In conclusion, dexibuprofen has a comparable antipyretic effect and safety profile to ibuprofen in Chinese children with fever caused by URTI.

The Challenge of Managing Neuropathic Pain in Children and Adolescents with Cancer

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a common complication associated with some types of childhood cancer, mainly due to nerve compression, chronic post-surgical pain, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. NP is usually less responsive to traditional analgesics, and there is generally a lack of evidence on its management in cancer patients, leading to recommendations often based on clinical trials conducted on other forms of non-malignant NP. In pediatric oncology, managing NP is still very challenging for physicians. Different factors contribute to increasing the risk of undertreatment: (a) children may be unable to describe the quality of pain; therefore, the risk for NP to be underestimated or remain unrecognized; (b) specific tools to diagnose NP have not been validated in children; (c) there is a lack of randomized clinical trials involving children, with most evidence being based on case series and case reports; (d) most drugs used for adult patients are not approved for childhood cancers, and drug regulation varies among different countries; (e) recommendations for pediatric pain treatment are still not available. In this paper, a multidisciplinary team will review the current literature regarding children with cancer-related NP to define the best possible diagnostic strategies (e.g., clinical and instrumental tests) and propose a therapeutic care pathway, including both non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches, which could help pediatricians, oncologists, neurologists, and pain therapists in designing the most effective multidisciplinary approach.

Ketorolac vs Morphine for Severe Vaso-Occlusive Crisis in Sickle Cell Disease: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial (KISS Study)

OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) ketorolac and IV morphine in the management of severe vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD).

METHOD

An open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted from January 2021 to July 2022 wherein children with SCD aged 3 to 15 years, presenting with severe VOC (score > 6 on the Wong-Baker Faces Pain scale) were included. Block randomization with minimization was done and participants received either IV ketorolac (intervention) or IV morphine infusion (standard). The pain score was reassessed three hourly and if the pain score exceeded 6, the drug dose was escalated every 3 hours, upto a maximum of three escalating doses. A pain score of ≤ 6 were regarded as response.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) pain scores at admission in the ketorolac and morphine groups were 9.28 (0.89) and 9.12 (1.01), respectively (P = 0.636). At 3, 6, 9, and 12 hours of infusion, the mean pain scores in the ketorolac and morphine groups were 8.04 (1.24) vs 8.28 (1.24), P = 0.313; 7.04 (1.210) vs 7.28 (1.28), P = 0.331; 6.40 (1.26) vs 6.28 (1.17), P = 0.860; and 5.56 (1.00) vs 5.60 (1.04), P = 0.817, respectively. Five and eleven children developed minor side effects in the ketorolac and morphine groups, respectively (P = 0.069). Overall, one child in the ketorolac group and two in the morphine persisted to have severe pain even after 12 hours of therapy (P = 0.55).

CONCLUSION

Intravenous ketorolac may be considered as a good alternative to IV morphine in the management of severe VOC in SCD.

Evidence-based safety profile of oral ketorolac in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis

The primary objective of the present review was to report the safety profile of oral ketorolac in adults using the systematic review and meta-analysis methodology based on clinical trials. The present study is a PRISMA-based systematic review and risk ratio (RR) meta-analysis of the adverse events reported in clinical trials that used oral ketorolac; the review includes 50 clinical trials. The RR for the comparison of a single intake of oral ketorolac versus placebo, including all types of adverse events, was RR = 2.59, IC95% (1.5102; 4.4360) with p = 0.02, the RR for the comparison of a multiple intakes of oral ketorolac versus placebo for all types of adverse events was RR = 1.39, IC95% (0.95; 2.05) with p = 0.093, the RR for the comparison of a single intake of oral ketorolac versus active drugs for all types of adverse events was RR = 0.61, IC95% (0.49; 0.77) with p < 0.0001, the RR for the comparison of multiple intakes of oral ketorolac versus active drugs for all types of adverse events was RR = 0.78, IC95%(0.65; 0.93) with p = 0.006. Multiple intakes of 5, 10, or 20 mg of oral ketorolac, in treatment over 1-10 days, do not increase the risk of adverse events compared to placebo and show a tendency to reduce the risk of adverse events compared to active drugs. When a single intake of ketorolac (5, 10, 20, or 30 mg) is compared to a placebo, the risk increases only for trivial and mild adverse events.

Assessing solubility of meloxicam in age-specific gastric and intestinal media relevant to adults and pediatric populations: implications for optimizing dosing in patients for postoperative pain

BACKGROUND

Oral dose formulations must be soluble in gastrointestinal fluids for systemic absorption. The solubility of meloxicam was determined in 16 different age-specific simulated gastric and intestinal media that mirrored the microenvironments in pediatrics and adults.

METHODS

The solubility of meloxicam in the 16 different age-specific simulated gastric and intestinal biorelevant media was assessed using the standard US pharmacopeial method. The molecular descriptors of meloxicam were used to assess its intestinal permeability.

RESULTS

Meloxicam exhibited low solubility in the age-specific simulated gastric media for fasted and fed states and in pediatrics and adults. Similarly, meloxicam exhibited low solubility in the age-specific simulated media that mirrored neonates fed cow milk-based formula. On the other hand, meloxicam exhibited high solubility in the rest of the age-specific pediatric and adult intestinal media that simulated the fasted and fed states. The pediatric-to-adult solubility ratios were outside the 80-125% range in 7 (58.3%) and was borderline in 1 (8.3%) out of the 12 calculated ratios. These findings indicated that the solubility of meloxicam showed clinically significant differences in 8 (66.7%) of the compared media.

CONCLUSION

Meloxicam exhibited low solubility in the age-specific simulated gastric media and high solubility in the simulated intestinal media for adults and pediatrics. Moreover, the pediatric-to-adult solubility ratios may have clinically significant implications. These differences can be translated into a higher likelihood of failing to demonstrate bioequivalence of different formulations containing meloxicam and variabilities in the performance of these formulations.

Short-term Dual Therapy or Mono Therapy With Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen for Fever: A Network Meta-Analysis

CONTEXT

There is uncertainty whether acetaminophen and ibuprofen are similar in their effects and safety when used as single or dual (alternating or combined) therapies.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the comparative efficacy of acetaminophen, ibuprofen alone, alternating, or combined through a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL from inception to September 20, 2023.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomized trials comparing acetaminophen, ibuprofen, both alternating, and both combined, for treating children with fever.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently screened abstracts and full texts, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias. We performed pairwise and network meta-analysis using the random-effects model.

RESULTS

We included 31 trials (5009 children). We found that combined (odds ratio [OR], 0.19; confidence interval [CI], 0.09-0.42) and alternating therapies (OR, 0.20; CI, 0.06-0.63) may be superior to acetaminophen, whereas ibuprofen at a high dose may be comparable (OR, 0.98; CI, 0.63-1.59) in terms of proportion of afebrile children at the fourth hour. These results were similar at the sixth hour. There were no differences between ibuprofen (low or high dose), or alternating, or combined with acetaminophen in terms of adverse events.

LIMITATIONS

We only evaluated the efficacy and safety during the first 6 hours.

CONCLUSIONS

Dual may be superior to single therapies for treating fever in children. Acetaminophen may be inferior to combined or alternating therapies to get children afebrile at 4 and 6 hours. Compared with ibuprofen, acetaminophen was also inferior to ibuprofen alone at 4 hours, but similar at 6 hours. PROSPERO registration: CRD42016035236.

Comparing postoperative pain relief: ketorolac and Nasocalcin spray versus lidocaine and Nasocalcin spray in abdominal surgery patients

Objectives

Postoperative pain management is critical for patient recovery after abdominal surgery. This study compared intravenous lidocaine and ketorolac for reducing postoperative pain and opioid use, along with Nasocalcin nasal spray.

Methods

In this randomized controlled trial, 58 abdominal surgery patients were allocated to receive either intravenous lidocaine plus Nasocalcin spray (n=29) or intravenous ketorolac plus Nasocalcin spray (n=29) before surgery. Pain intensity (visual analog scale) and postoperative opioid consumption were assessed at 1, 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery.

Results

Patients receiving ketorolac plus Nasocalcin spray reported significantly lower pain scores at all time points compared to lidocaine plus Nasocalcin (P<0.001). Average 24-h pain scores were 4.5 with ketorolac versus 5.1 with lidocaine. Mean opioid consumption was also lower in the ketorolac group (31.9 mg) versus the lidocaine group (43.9 mg, P<0.001).

Conclusion

Preoperative ketorolac plus Nasocalcin nasal spray resulted in superior pain relief and less opioid use compared to lidocaine plus Nasocalcin after abdominal surgery. Ketorolac may be a more effective analgesic option, while Nasocalcin spray is a safe adjunct. These findings can inform clinical practice for optimizing postoperative analgesia.

Indomethacin restrains cytoplasmic nucleic acid-stimulated immune responses by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of IRF3

The recognition of cytosolic nucleic acid triggers the DNA/RNA sensor-IRF3 axis-mediated production of type I interferons (IFNs), which are essential for antiviral immune responses. However, the inappropriate activation of these signaling pathways is implicated in autoimmune conditions. Here, we report that indomethacin, a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, inhibits nucleic acid-triggered IFN production. We found that both DNA- and RNA-stimulated IFN expression can be effectively blocked by indomethacin. Interestingly, indomethacin also prohibits the nuclear translocation of IRF3 following cytosolic nucleic acid recognition. Importantly, in cell lines and a mouse model of Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, indomethacin administration blunts self-DNA-induced autoimmune responses. Thus, our study reveals a previously unknown function of indomethacin and provides a potential treatment for cytosolic nucleic acid-stimulated autoimmunity.

Updating Clinical Practice: Improving Perioperative Pain Management for Adeno-Tonsillectomy in Children

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Perioperative acute pain management in pediatric patients is essential to reduce complications. Adenoidectomy-Tonsillectomy are surgical procedures requiring pain control, and risk minimization for postoperative bleeding, nausea, and vomiting. Despite their known secondary effects, the use of opioid analgesics is still preponderant in pediatric perioperative management. We performed a comprehensive review on adeno-tonsillectomy perioperative pain management in children. We developed and implemented a multimodal analgesia protocol aimed to improve patients' pain management while consistently reducing opioids use.

METHODS/RESULTS

relevant Information was summarized, then compared to our clinical needs. Learnings were used to create and implement a multimodal analgesia protocol that we use in patients 3-9 years-old undergoing adenoidectomy/tonsillectomy. The full protocol is presented. Analgesic strategies have emerged to reduce or avoid the use of opioids. Among these strategies, combining different non-opioid analgesics (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Metamizole) has been shown to be an effective and safe pharmacological strategy when implemented as part of perioperative multimodal analgesia protocols. Considerable evidence associating the use of NSAIDs with a bigger risk of postoperative bleeding does not exist.

CONCLUSIONS

Perioperative management of adenotonsillectomy pain should include preventive and multimodal analgesia, which have shown to provide significantly more effective analgesia than some opioid regimens. Ibuprofen offers highly effective analgesia for postoperative pain, particularly when combined with acetaminophen.

Design, synthesis, analgesic, antibacterial and docking studies of novel 8-piperazinylcaffeine carboxylate ionic liquids

This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of novel 8-piperazinylcaffeine carboxylate ionic liquids, including their design, synthesis, characterization, analgesic and antibacterial properties, as well as docking studies. These unique salts were produced by combining 8-piperazinyl caffeine (8-PC) with various carboxylic acids, some of which are commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Through in vivo experiments on female mice using the formalin test, the analgesic efficacy of different 8-PC salts with various NSAIDs was assessed. Results demonstrated that a majority of these salts exhibited significant analgesic activity when compared to NaIBP, a standard reference drug. Particularly noteworthy was the enhanced analgesic effect of the 8-PC's NSAIDs salts (11a, 11c-e, and 11k) compared to their corresponding sodium salts, which was attributed to the presence of the 8-PC cation (synergistic effect). Furthermore, all synthesized salts were subjected to in vitro testing against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (PTCC 1133), Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Escherichia coli (PTCC 1330) bacteria. Among them, salt 11k displayed notable antibacterial activity, especially against P. aeruginosa, a dangerous opportunistic pathogen. Additionally, docking analysis revealed strong binding of the synthesized 8-PC and NSAID salts to the active site of the COX-2 enzyme.

Functional Nanomaterials for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, affecting more than 595 million people worldwide. Nanomaterials possess superior physicochemical properties and can influence pathological processes due to their unique structural features, such as size, surface interface, and photoelectromagnetic thermal effects. Unlike traditional OA treatments, which suffer from short half-life, low stability, poor bioavailability, and high systemic toxicity, nanotherapeutic strategies for OA offer longer half-life, enhanced targeting, improved bioavailability, and reduced systemic toxicity. These advantages effectively address the limitations of traditional therapies. This review aims to inspire researchers to develop more multifunctional nanomaterials and promote their practical application in OA treatment.

Different dose aspirin plus immunoglobulin (DAPI) for prevention of coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease: Study protocol for a multi-center, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded end-point, non-inferiority trial

BACKGROUND

Kawasaki disease is a pediatric acute systemic vasculitis that specifically involves the coronary arteries. Timely initiation of immunoglobulin plus aspirin is necessary for diminishing the incidence of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs). The optimal dose of aspirin, however, remains controversial. The trial aims to evaluate if low-dose aspirin is noninferior to moderate-dose in reducing the risk of CAAs during the initial treatment of Kawasaki disease.

METHODS

This is a multi-center, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint, noninferiority trial to be conducted in China. The planned study duration is from 2023 to 2026. Data will be analyzed according to intention-to-treat principles. Participants are children and adolescents under the age of 18 with Kawasaki disease, recruited from the inpatient units. A sample size of 1,346 participants will provide 80% power with a one-sided significance level of 0.025. Qualifying children will be randomized (1:1) to receive either intravenous immunoglobulin (2 g/kg) plus oral moderate-dose aspirin (30-50 mg·kg-1·d-1) until the patient is afebrile for at least 48 hours, or immunoglobulin plus low-dose aspirin (3-5 mg·kg-1·d-1) as initial treatment. The primary outcome will be the occurrence of CAAs at 8 weeks after immunoglobulin infusion. Independent blinded pediatric cardiologists will assess the primary endpoint using echocardiography.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a shortage of consensus on the dose of aspirin therapy for Kawasaki disease due to the lack of evidence. The results of our randomized trial will provide more concrete evidence for the efficacy and adverse events of low- or moderate-dose aspirin in the acute phase of Kawasaki disease.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

www.chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR2300072686.

Naturally occurring benzophenones and xanthones from Garcinia smeathmannii (Planch. & Triana) Oliv. displayed anti-inflammatory effects by modulating the activities of inflammatory mediators in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages

Introduction: There is a growing interest in studying natural products for the identification of novel lead compounds for drug development for treating inflammatory diseases. Although some studies have focused anti-inflammatory activity of benzophenones and xanthones, exploring additional targets such as enzymes and cytokines, involved in their inflammatory response could provide more comprehensive understanding of the compounds' anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, four xanthones ananixanthone (1), smeathxanthone A (2), smeathxanthone B (3), and 1,3,5,8-tetrahydroxy-2-(3-methybut-2-enyl)-4-(3,7-dimethyloct-2,6-dienyl) xanthone (4); and three benzophenones guttiferone O (5), guttiferone M (6), and aristophenone A (7) from Garcinia smeathmannii (Planch. & Triana) Oliv. were investigated for their effect on nitric oxide production, cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase inhibition, and Th1/Th2 cytokines production in activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Methods: The Griess reagent method and the ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange assay were used to evaluate the inhibition of NO production and the 15-lipoxygenase activity respectively. Cyclooxygenase activity was assessed using the fluorometric COX activity assay kit and measurement of Th1/Th2 cytokines was performed using a flow cytometer. Results: All the tested compounds exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of NO production with varying degrees of inhibitory effects on 15-LOX activity. Compound (6), displays the best inhibitory effect on COX-1/COX-2 activity. A general trend of the tested compounds on cytokines profiles revealed that compound (5) showed a pronounced enhancement of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10). Conclusion: This observation supports future exploration of ananixanthone (1), guttiferone O (5), and guttiferone (6) as potential candidates for the development of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Pain in Neonates: Perceptions and Current Practices

All newborns experience pain during routine care, which can have long-lasting negative effects. Despite the availability of effective methods to prevent and reduce pain, most infants will receive ineffective or no treatment. Optimal pain management includes the reduction of the number of procedures performed, routine pain assessment and the use of effective pain-reducing interventions, most notably breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact and sweet-tasting solutions. Parents are an essential component of the comprehensive assessment and management of infant pain; however, a gap exists regarding the uptake of parent-led interventions and the engagement of families. Practice recommendations for infant pain care are discussed.

Rescue designs in analgesic trials from 0 to 2 years of age: scoping review

Pediatric analgesic trials are challenging, especially in newborns and infants. Following an FDA-academic consensus meeting, we analyzed pragmatic rescue designs in postoperative trials of local anesthetics, acetaminophen, opioids, and NSAIDs involving children ages 0-2 years and assessed surgical volumes to provide trial design recommendations. Searches of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were conducted. A scoping approach identified trends in analgesic trials with an emphasis on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) utilizing immediate rescue designs. Age-specific surgical volumes were estimated from French national databases. Of 3563 studies identified, 23 RCTs used study medication(s) of interest and immediate rescue paradigms in children ages 0-2 years. A total of 270 studies met at least one of these criteria. Add-on and head-to-head designs were common and often used sparing of non-opioid or opioid rescue medication as a primary outcome measure. According to French national data, inguinal and penile surgeries were most frequent in ages 1 month to 2 years; abdominal and thoracic surgeries comprise approximately 75% of newborn surgeries. Analgesic trials with rescue sparing paradigm are currently sparse among children ages 0-2 years. Future trials could consider age-specific surgical procedures and use of add-on or head-to-head designs. IMPACT: Clinical trials of analgesic medications have been challenging in pediatrics, especially in the group from newborns to 2 years of age. Following an FDA-academic workshop, we analyzed features of completed analgesic trials in this age group. Studies using immediate rescue in placebo control, add-on, and head-to-head trial designs are pragmatic approaches that can provide important information regarding clinical effectiveness, side effects, and safety. Using a French national dataset with a granular profile of inpatient, outpatient, and short-stay surgeries, we provide information to future investigators on relative frequencies of different operations in neonates and through the first 2 years of life.

Central and peripheral mechanism of MOTS-c attenuates pain hypersensitivity in a mice model of inflammatory pain

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory pain is caused by damaged tissue or noxious stimuli, accompanied by the release of inflammatory mediators that often leads to severe hyperalgesia and allodynia with limited therapy options. Recently, a novel mitochondrial-derived peptide (named MOTS-c) was reported to regulate obesity, metabolic homeostasis and inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of MOTS-c and its related regulatory mechanisms involved in inflammatory pain.

METHODS

Male Kunming mice (8-10 weeks-old) were intraplantar injected with formalin, capsaicin, λ-Carrageenan and complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) to establish acute and chronic inflammatory pain. The effects of MOTS-c on the above inflammatory pain mice and its underlying mechanisms were examined by behavioral tests, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), western blotting, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF).

RESULTS

Behavioral experiments investigated the potential beneficial effects of MOTS-c on multiple acute and chronic inflammatory pain in mice. The results showed that MOTS-c treatment produced potent anti-allodynic effects in formalin-induced acute inflammatory pain, capsaicin-induced nocifensive behaviors and λ-Carrageenan/CFA-induced chronic inflammatory pain model. Further mechanistic studies revealed that central MOTS-c treatment significantly ameliorated CFA-evoked the release of inflammatory factors and activation of glial cells and neurons in the spinal dorsal horn. Moreover, peripheral MOTS-c treatment reduced CFA-evoked inflammatory responses in the surface structure of hindpaw skin, accompanied by inhibiting excitation of peripheral calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and P2X3 nociceptive neurons.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study indicates that MOTS-c may serve as a promising therapeutic target for inflammatory pain.

Network pharmacology integrated with experimental verification reveals the antipyretic characteristics and mechanism of Zi Xue powder

CONTEXT

Zi Xue Powder (ZXP) is a traditional formula for the treatment of fever. However, the potential mechanism of action of ZXP remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study elucidates the antipyretic characteristics of ZXP and the mechanism by which ZXP alleviates fever.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The key targets and underlying fever-reducing mechanisms of ZXP were predicted using network pharmacology and molecular docking. The targets of ZXP anti-fever active ingredient were obtained by searching TCMSP, STITCH and HERB. Moreover, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), ZXP (0.54, 1.08, 2.16 g/kg), and positive control (acetaminophen, 0.045 g/kg); the fever model was established by intraperitoneal LPS injection. After the fever model was established at 0.5 h, the rats were administered treatment by gavage, and the anal temperature changes of each group were observed over 10 h after treatment. After 10 h, ELISA and Western blot analysis were used to further investigate the mechanism of ZXP.

RESULTS

Network pharmacology analysis showed that MAPK was a crucial pathway through which ZXP suppresses fever. The results showed that ZXP (2.16 g/kg) decreased PGE2, CRH, TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-1β levels while increasing AVP level compared to the LPS group. Furthermore, the intervention of ZXP inhibited the activation of MAPK pathway in LPS-induced fever rats.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides new insights into the mechanism by which ZXP reduces fever and provides important information and new research ideas for the discovery of antipyretic compounds from traditional Chinese medicine.

Unveiling the interplay between NSAID-induced dysbiosis and autoimmune liver disease in children: insights into the hidden gateway to autism spectrum disorders. Evidence from ex vivo, in vivo, and clinical studies

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a diverse group of neuropsychiatric conditions, and recent evidence has suggested a connection between ASD and microbial dysbiosis. Immune and gastrointestinal dysfunction are associated with dysbiosis, and there are indications that modulating the microbiota could improve ASD-related behaviors. Additionally, recent findings highlighted the significant impact of microbiota on the development of autoimmune liver diseases, and the occurrence of autoimmune liver disease in children with ASD is noteworthy. In the present study, we conducted both an in vivo study and a clinical study to explore the relationship between indomethacin-induced dysbiosis, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and the development of ASD. Our results revealed that indomethacin administration induced intestinal dysbiosis and bacterial translocation, confirmed by microbiological analysis showing positive bacterial translocation in blood cultures. Furthermore, indomethacin administration led to disturbed intestinal permeability, evidenced by the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasomes pathway and elevation of downstream biomarkers (TLR4, IL18, caspase 1). The histological analysis supported these findings, showing widened intestinal tight junctions, decreased mucosal thickness, inflammatory cell infiltrates, and collagen deposition. Additionally, the disturbance of intestinal permeability was associated with immune activation in liver tissue and the development of AIH, as indicated by altered liver function, elevated ASMA and ANA in serum, and histological markers of autoimmune hepatitis. These results indicate that NSAID-induced intestinal dysbiosis and AIH are robust triggers for ASD existence. These findings were further confirmed by conducting a clinical study that involved children with ASD, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and a history of NSAID intake. Children exposed to NSAIDs in early life and complicated by dysbiosis and AIH exhibited elevated serum levels of NLRP3, IL18, liver enzymes, ASMA, ANA, JAK1, and IL6. Further, the correlation analysis demonstrated a positive relationship between the measured parameters and the severity of ASD. Our findings suggest a potential link between NSAIDs, dysbiosis-induced AIH, and the development of ASD. The identified markers hold promise as indicators for early diagnosis and prognosis of ASD. This research highlights the importance of maintaining healthy gut microbiota and supports the necessity for further investigation into the role of dysbiosis and AIH in the etiology of ASD.

Outcomes for 41 260 pediatric surgical patients with opioid-free anesthesia: One center's experience

BACKGROUND

Opioid use is common and associated with side effects and risks. Consequently, analgesic strategies to reduce opioid utilization have been developed. Regional anesthesia and multimodal strategies are central tenets of enhanced recovery pathways and facilitate reduced perioperative opioid use. Opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) protocols eliminate all intraoperative opioids, reserving opioids for postoperative rescue treatment. Systematic reviews show variable results for OFA.

METHODS

In a series of Quality Improvement (QI) projects, multidisciplinary teams developed interventions to test and spread OFA first in our ambulatory surgery center (ASC) and then in our hospital. Outcome measures were tracked using statistical process control charts to increase the adoption of OFA.

RESULTS

Between January 1, 2016, and September 30, 2022, 19 872 of 28 574 ASC patients received OFA, increasing from 30% to 98%. Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) maximum pain score, opioid-rescue rate, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) treatment all decreased concomitantly. The use of OFA now represents our ambulatory standard practice. Over the same timeframe, the spread of this practice to our hospital led to 21 388 of 64 859 patients undergoing select procedures with OFA, increasing from 15% to 60%. Opioid rescue rate and PONV treatment in PACU decreased while hospital maximum pain scores and length of stay were stable. Two procedural examples with OFA benefits were identified. The use of OFA allowed relaxation of adenotonsillectomy admission criteria, resulting in 52 hospital patient days saved. Transition to OFA for laparoscopic appendectomy occurred concomitantly with a decrease in the mean hospital length of stay from 2.9 to 1.4 days, representing a savings of >500 hospital patient days/year.

CONCLUSIONS

These QI projects demonstrated that most pediatric ambulatory and select inpatient surgeries are amenable to OFA techniques which may reduce PONV without worsening pain.

A Multi-Center Evaluation of the Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Intravenous Ibuprofen in Infants 1-6 Months of Age

BACKGROUND

Enteral ibuprofen was first approved as a prescription drug in 1974 for the US market. An intravenous (IV) ibuprofen formulation is approved for use in children older than 6 months of age, but there are limited studies specifically evaluating the pharmacokinetics and safety in children 1-6 months of age.

AIMS

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of IV ibuprofen in infants younger than 6 months of age. The secondary objective was to evaluate the safety of single and repeated doses of IV ibuprofen in infants younger than 6 months of age.

METHODS

This was an industry-sponsored multi-center study. Institutional Review Board approval and informed parental consent were obtained prior to enrollment. Hospitalized neonates and infants younger than 6 months of age with fever or expected postoperative pain were eligible. Enrolled patients received 10 mg/kg of IV ibuprofen every 6 h, with up to four doses per day. Patients were randomized to two sparse sampling technique pharmacokinetic sample time groups. Group 1 samples were drawn at 0, 30 min, and 2 h, while group 2 samples were drawn at 0 min, 1, and 4 h after administration.

RESULTS

A total of 24 children were enrolled in the study, with 15 male patients and 9 female patients. The median age of the cohort was 4.4 months (range 1.1-5.9 months), and the median weight was 5.9 kg (range 2.3-8.8 kg). The arithmetic mean and standard error for peak plasma ibuprofen concentration was 56.28 ± 2.77 µg/mL. Plasma levels declined rapidly with a mean elimination half-life of 1.30 h. Time to peak ibuprofen effect and concentration were similar when compared with older pediatric patients. Clearance and volume of distribution were also similar to those reported in older pediatric patients. No drug-related adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The pharmacokinetic and short-term safety profiles of IV ibuprofen in pediatric patients 1-6 months of age are comparable to those in children older than 6 months of age.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov Trial Registration number and date: NCT02583399-Registered July 2017.

Pain Management in Children Admitted to the Emergency Room: A Narrative Review

Pain is a biopsychosocial experience characterized by sensory, physiological, cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. Both acute and chronic pain can have short and long-term negative effects. Unfortunately, pain treatment is often inadequate. Guidelines and recommendations for a rational approach to pediatric pain frequently differ, and this may be one of the most important reasons for the poor attention frequently paid to pain treatment in children. This narrative review discusses the present knowledge in this regard. A literature review conducted on papers produced over the last 8 years showed that although in recent years, compared to the past, much progress has been made in the treatment of pain in the context of the pediatric emergency room, there is still a lot to do. There is a need to create guidelines that outline standardized and easy-to-follow pathways for pain recognition and management, which are also flexible enough to take into account differences in different contexts both in terms of drug availability and education of staff as well as of the different complexities of patients. It is essential to guarantee an approach to pain that is as uniform as possible among the pediatric population that limits, as much as possible, the inequalities related to ethnicity and language barriers.

Brij® integrated bilosomes for improving the transdermal delivery of niflumic acid for effective treatment of osteoarthritis: In vitro characterization, ex vivo permeability assessment, and in vivo study

Bilosomes are innovative vesicular carriers containing bile salt with a non-ionic surfactant. Being highly flexible, bilosomes can squeeze themselves through the skin carrying the drug to the action site and improving its skin penetration. The objective of this research was to encapsulate niflumic acid (NA), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug into Brij® integrated bilosomes (BIBs) for effective treatment of osteoarthritis through transdermal delivery. BIBs were formulated using 100 mg of Span 20 with different amounts of sodium cholate (NaC), sodium taurocholate (NaTC), or sodium glycocholate (NaGC) as bile salt, with the addition of 5 mg of Brij-93 or Brij-35. BIBs were prepared utilizing ethanol injection method with the application of (3¹×2²) complete factorial design using Design-Expert® software. The optimal BIBs formulation determined was (B5) which contains 5 mg of NaTC used as bile salt and 5 mg of Brij-93. B5 exhibited entrapment efficiency% = 95.21 ± 0.00%, particle size = 373.05 ± 0.07 nm, polydispersity index = 0.27 ± 0.01, and zeta potential = -32.00 ± 0.00 mV. It also had a high elasticity with a spherical shape. B5 gel displayed a sustained release profile with a significantly 2.3 folds' higher drug permeation percent across rat skin than that permeated from NA gel. Moreover, in vivo anti-osteoarthritic and histopathological studies assured the efficacy and safety of B5 gel and its superiority over NA gel. Generally, the outcomes confirmed the great efficacy of NA loaded BIBs for the topical treatment of osteoarthritis.

Non-opioid analgesics for procedural pain in neonates

BACKGROUND

Neonates are an extremely vulnerable patient population, with 6% to 9% admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) following birth. Neonates admitted to the NICU will undergo multiple painful procedures per day throughout their stay. There is increasing evidence that frequent and repetitive exposure to painful stimuli is associated with poorer outcomes later in life. To date, a wide variety of pain control mechanisms have been developed and implemented to address procedural pain in neonates. This review focused on non-opioid analgesics, specifically non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, which alleviate pain through inhibiting cellular pathways to achieve analgesia.  The analgesics considered in this review show potential for pain relief in clinical practice; however, an evidence summation compiling the individual drugs they comprise and outlining the benefits and harms of their administration is lacking. We therefore sought to summarize the evidence on the level of pain experienced by neonates both during and following procedures; relevant drug-related adverse events, namely episodes of apnea, desaturation, bradycardia, and hypotension; and the effects of combinations of drugs.  As the field of neonatal procedural pain management is constantly evolving, this review aimed to ascertain the scope of non-opioid analgesics for neonatal procedural pain to provide an overview of the options available to better inform evidence-based clinical practice.  OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of non-opioid analgesics in neonates (term or preterm) exposed to procedural pain compared to placebo or no drug, non-pharmacological intervention, other analgesics, or different routes of administration.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), PubMed, Embase, and two trial registries in June 2022. We screened the reference lists of included studies for studies not identified by the database searches.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, and cluster-RCTs in neonates (term or preterm) undergoing painful procedures comparing NSAIDs and NMDA receptor antagonists to placebo or no drug, non-pharmacological intervention, other analgesics, or different routes of administration.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard Cochrane methods. Our main outcomes were pain assessed during the procedure and up to 10 minutes after the procedure with a validated scale; episodes of bradycardia; episodes of apnea; and hypotension requiring medical therapy.

MAIN RESULTS

We included two RCTs involving a total of 269 neonates conducted in Nigeria and India.  NMDA receptor antagonists versus no treatment, placebo, oral sweet solution, or non-pharmacological intervention One RCT evaluated using oral ketamine (10 mg/kg body weight) versus sugar syrup (66.7% w/w at 1 mL/kg body weight) for neonatal circumcision.  The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of ketamine on pain score during the procedure, assessed with the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), compared with placebo (mean difference (MD) -0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.32 to -0.58; 1 RCT; 145 participants; very low-certainty evidence). No other outcomes of interest were reported on. Head-to-head comparison of different analgesics One RCT evaluated using intravenous fentanyl versus intravenous ketamine during laser photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity. Neonates receiving ketamine followed an initial regimen (0.5 mg/kg bolus 1 minute before procedure) or a revised regimen (additional intermittent bolus doses of 0.5 mg/kg every 10 minutes up to a maximum of 2 mg/kg), while those receiving fentanyl followed either an initial regimen (2 μg/kg over 5 minutes, 15 minutes before the procedure, followed by 1 μg/kg/hour as a continuous infusion) or a revised regimen (titration of 0.5 μg/kg/hour every 15 minutes to a maximum of 3 μg/kg/hour). The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of ketamine compared with fentanyl on pain score assessed with the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) scores during the procedure (MD 0.98, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.20; 1 RCT; 124 participants; very low-certainty evidence); on episodes of apnea occurring during the procedure (risk ratio (RR) 0.31, 95% CI 0.08 to 1.18; risk difference (RD) -0.09, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.00; 1 study; 124 infants; very low-certainty evidence); and on hypotension requiring medical therapy occurring during the procedure (RR 5.53, 95% CI 0.27 to 112.30; RD 0.03, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.10; 1 study; 124 infants; very low-certainty evidence). The included study did not report pain score assessed up to 10 minutes after the procedure or episodes of bradycardia occurring during the procedure. We did not identify any studies comparing NSAIDs versus no treatment, placebo, oral sweet solution, or non-pharmacological intervention or different routes of administration of the same analgesics. We identified three studies awaiting classification.  AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The two small included studies comparing ketamine versus either placebo or fentanyl, with very low-certainty evidence, rendered us unable to draw meaningful conclusions. The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of ketamine on pain score during the procedure compared with placebo or fentanyl. We found no evidence on NSAIDs or studies comparing different routes of administration. Future research should prioritize large studies evaluating non-opioid analgesics in this population. As the studies included in this review suggest potential positive effects of ketamine administration, studies evaluating ketamine are of interest. Furthermore, as we identified no studies on NSAIDs, which are widely used in older infants, or comparing different routes of administration, such studies should be a priority going forward.