Metamizole is an analgesic (pain reliever) and antipyretic (fever reducer). A randomized, double blind, multinational study involving 555 children showed that metamizole was significantly more effective than ibuprofen in achieving normal body temperatures; metamizole produced a significantly greater temperature reduction than ibuprofen, and helped maintain low temperatures for a longer duration. Metamizole received a brief period of attention by American media in 2001, when a Latino boy was admitted into a Salt Lake City clinic with symptoms of agranulocytosis. It was discovered that the drug remained freely available in Latino shops and highly popular among Mexican immigrants, despite the ban. The ongoing "LATIN" Study, a multicenter international case-control study, is examining the incidence of agranulocytosis in Latin America and the role of metamizole.
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