Oral antipyretic therapy: evaluation of benorylate, an ester of acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol.

The capacity of benorylate, an ester of acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol, to reduce fever in children was compared with that of the components as such or as a combination. The series of cases studied consisted of 66 patients between the ages of 4 months and 12 years with rectal temperatures above 38.5 degrees C. Temperatures were recorded at 15 and 20 min and 1, 2, 4 and 6 hrs after the administration of the drug. The antipyretic effect of combined acetylsalicylic acid (11 mg/kg) and paracetamol (14 mg/kg) was superior to the effect of benorylate with a dose of 25 mg/kg and even of 50 mg/kg as well as better than the effect of either drug alone. Acetylsalicylic acid (10 mg/kg) and paracetamol (12.5 mg/kg) alone produced a significantly greater antipyretic effect than benorylate with a dose of 25 mg/kg. Given in a dose of 35--40 mg/kg, benorylate seems to have a significant antipyretic effect. However, this effect is clearly smaller than that of either of its components, acetylsalicylic acid or paracetamol. Therefore benorylate is probably not suitable to be used as a general antipyretic agent in children.