Antipyretic Effectiveness of Salicylamide and Acetylsalicyclic Acid in Infants

The course of fever was followed in a study of 512 pediatric patients whose initial temperatures were over 38.3 C (101 F) and whose physical findings justified an initial trial of antipyretic measures alone. The patients were treated on an alternating plan with either aspirin or salicylamide, for the purpose of comparing the effectiveness of the two drugs. The salicylamide sufficed in 110 patients, and only 39% of the salicylamide group required eventual treatment with antibiotics. The aspirin sufficed in 117 patients, and only 41 % of the aspirin group ultimately needed antibiotics. The difference was not significant. Similar analyses of other quantitative aspects of the treatment revealed no significant differences in effectiveness between the two drugs. In ease of administration, acceptability to infants, and control of dosage, however, the salicylamide suspension had advantages over the form of aspirin used in this study.