Answer to Question #156610 in Organic Chemistry for Glory Osuma

Question

Explain how you can differentiate naproxen an anti-inflammatory drug from paracetamol a pain reliever....

Answer 1

Comparisons of paracetamol with NSAIDs (including acetylsalicylic acid), or paracetamol plus an NSAID with either paracetamol or NSAID alone, were eligible. Paracetamol had to be administered in a dose of at least 1,000 mg when given as a single agent in adults. Lower doses of paracetamol were included when the drug was used in combination with another agent or was administered to children. Drugs administered at different times and by different routes were eligible.

The NSAIDs studied included: oral aspirin (650 mg); diclofenac as a suppository (12.5 to 100 mg) or oral dose (2 to 3 mg/kg, and 100 mg); naproxen as a suppository (1,000 mg) or oral dose (440 to 500 mg); ketorolac as an intravenous (30 mg) or oral (5 to 20 mg, and 1 mg/kg) dose; ibuprofen as oral (200 to 800 mg) or sustained release (1,600 mg and 10 mg/kg) dose; oral bromfenac (5 to 25 mg); oral ketoprofen (12.5 to 200 mg); oral tenoxicam (0.5 mg/kg and 40 mg); oral meclofenamate (100 to 200 mg); oral flurbiprofen (50 mg) oral difusinal (500 mg); and oral indoprofen (800 mg). Paracetamol was administered in suppository form (1,300 to 4,000 mg and 35 mg/kg), as an oral dose (500 to 8,000 mg, and 10 to 35 mg/kg), and as proparacetamol (2,000 mg intravenously). The drugs were given as a single pre-emptive dose, as a single post-operative dose, and on up to 7 consecutive days.