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~ 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 acetylsalieylic 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.
Acetylsalicylie acid (10 mg/kg) and paracetamol (12.5 mg/kg) alone produced a significantly greater antipyretie 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 antipyretie 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 antipyretie agent in children.