The comparison between acetaminophen and ibuprofen effectiveness for ductus arterious closure therapy in premature infants

The patent ductus arteriosus can cause heart failure, metabolic acidosis, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and pulmonary edema/bleeding. Ibuprofen has been proven to have similar efficacy in closing ductus arteriosus but has side effects, such as kidney and intracranial bleeding. There is a report in a case series, the closure of the ductus arteriosus occurred in five premature babies given oral acetaminophen. This study aims to identify the effectiveness of acetaminophen compared with ibuprofen for ductus arteries closure in premature infants. This study employed a quasi-experimental study design. This study involved two groups, i.e., the first group was given oral ibuprofen (control), and the second group was given oral acetaminophen. The number of subjects amounted to 11 infants in each group. The ductus arteriosus examination in each group was in the form of echocardiographic examination with two dimensional and Doppler imaging before and after the treatment. The data obtained were analyzed using the Fisher exact test, t-test, and chi-square. After the therapy for one and two series had performed, the DA closure in infants of the ibuprofen group reached more than those in the acetaminophen group. The statistical analysis suggested that DA closure had the results that were insignificantly different (p-value of 1.000). Acetaminophen has similar effectiveness as ibuprofen in closing the ductus arteriosus in premature infants.