Antipyretic Treatment for Intrapartum Fever: Dipyrone vs Acetaminophen (RCT)

Plain-language summary

Chorioamnionitis, or intraamniotic infection, is a common condition affecting 2-5% of all term births. This condition poses well-recognized maternal and neonatal risks, and entails a series of clinical management decisions concerning both the mother and neonate. Therefore, timely detection and treatment of chorioamnionitis is of paramount importance. The occurrence of chorioamnionitis is associated with a higher risk of labor abnormalities, which increase the risk of cesarean delivery (CD) 3 to 4 fold. As recommended by current guidelines, treatment of suspected intraamniotic infection should include broad-spectrum antibiotics. In addition, the use of antipyretics is advocated. This is particularly important during the intrapartum period since fetal acidosis in the setting of fever has been associated with a marked increase in the incidence of neonatal encephalopathy. Maternal fever even in the absence of documented fetal acidosis is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, particularly neonatal encephalopathy, though it is unclear to what extent the etiology of the fever rather than the fever itself is causative . Furthermore, treating intrapartum fever with antipyretics may also be helpful in reducing fetal tachycardia thereby avoiding the tendency to perform cesarean for a non-reassuring fetal status. Nevertheless, it remains understudied which is the most appropriate antipyretic agent in this regard, where both dipyrone and acetaminophen are safe alternatives . Antipyretic agent with a faster onset of action may be preferable in this setting.

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