We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all the available evidence to assess the efficacy and safety of paracetamol for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in neonates, and to explore the effects of clinical variables on the risk of closure.
MEDLINE, Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge databases, using the following medical subject headings and terms: paracetamol, acetaminophen and patent ductus arteriosus. Electronic and manual screening of conference abstracts from international meetings of relevant organisations. Manual search of the reference lists of all eligible articles.
Studies comparing paracetamol versus ibuprofen, indomethacin, placebo or no intervention for the treatment of PDA.
Data regarding efficacy and safety were collected and analysed.
Sixteen studies were included: 2 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 14 uncontrolled studies. Quality of selected studies is poor. A meta-analysis of RCTs does not demonstrate any difference in the risk of ductal closure (Mantel-Haenszel model, RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.33 and RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.16, after 3 and 6 days of treatment, respectively). Proportion meta-analysis of uncontrolled studies demonstrates a pooled ductal closure rate of 49% (95% CI 29% to 69%) and 76% (95% CI 61% to 88%) after 3 and 6 days of treatment with paracetamol, respectively. Safety profiles of paracetamol and ibuprofen are similar.
Efficacy and safety of paracetamol appear to be comparable with those of ibuprofen. These results should be interpreted with caution, taking into account the non-optimal quality of the studies analysed and the limited number of neonates treated with paracetamol so far.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
10
5%
Nursing and Health Professions
5
3%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences
3
2%
Business, Management and Accounting
1
<1%
Other
10
5%
Unknown
55
30%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 24. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 12 June 2021.
All research outputs
#2,037,855
of 34,410,315 outputs
Outputs from Archives of Disease in Childhood -- Fetal & Neonatal Edition
#234
of 2,708 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#20,783
of 302,524 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Archives of Disease in Childhood -- Fetal & Neonatal Edition
#7
of 47 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,410,315 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 94th percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,708 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 9.8. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 91% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 302,524 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 93% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 47 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 85% of its contemporaries.
