These are the pharmacological substances produces from chemical substances, used to reduce the fever.
ANTIPYRETICS
Elevation of body temperature above the normal is called as fever. Fever is one of the most common clinical symptoms managed by health care providers. The normal temperature of body is 1000F.
Antipyretics: The drugs which lowers the fever is called antipyretics
Pathophysiology of fever: Fever is a common and normal physiologic response that results in an increase in the hypothalamic heat regulating center in response to exogenous and endogenous pyrogens. A fever occurs when the thermostat resets at a higher temperature, in response to an infections. The body moves blood to the warmer interior, increases the metabolic rate, and induces shivering to reach the higher temperature. Once the higher temperature is achieved, The "chills" that often accompany a fever are caused by the movement of blood to the body's core, leaving the surface and extremities cold.
Symptoms: Rash, sore throat, headache, stiff neck, or earache
Diagnosis: Fever can be diagnosed by Thermometer
Treatment:
Salicylates: Eg: Aspirin, salicylic acid, sodium salicylate, methyl salicylate
Salicylates only lowered the elevated temperature, these do not lowers the normal body temperature.
Mechanisms:
Adverse reactions: Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, ulceration, drowsiness, confusion, bone marrow depression.
Therapeutic uses: These are acts as analgesics to treat mild to moderate pain, Anti-rheumatic, keratolytic and antiseptic.
Aspirin: Aspirin is rarely used as an anti-inflammatory medication nowadays and will be reviewed only in terms of its anti-platelet effects. Salicylic acid is a simple organic acid with a pKa of 3.0. Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) has a pKa of 3.5. These are rapidly absorbed from the stomach and upper small intestine yielding a peak plasma salicylate level within 1–2 hours.
Mechanisms of Action: Aspirin irreversibly inhibits the platelet COX so that aspirin’s antiplatelet effect lasts 8–10 days (the life of the platelet).
Clinical Uses: Aspirin decreases the incidence of unstable angina, transient ischemic attacks, coronary artery thrombosis with myocardial infarction, and thrombosis after coronary artery bypass grafting.
Paracetamol: It is a Para amino phenol derivative; it has antipyretic as well as analgesics action. It is absorbed orally, metabolized through liver and excreted in urine as a conjugated form.
References:
Hypothalamus, temperature, chills, salicylic acid
