Ibuprofen Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Implications

Introduction to Ibuprofen Properties

Ibuprofen requires more frequent dosing compared to NSAIDs with longer half-lives, due to its short half-life 1
The American Thoracic Society, as published in Chest, notes that ibuprofen's reversible antiplatelet properties and short half-life are advantageous for perioperative management compared to irreversible antiplatelet drugs like aspirin 1, 2
Interrupting ibuprofen before surgery allows for quicker restoration of platelet function compared to NSAIDs with longer half-lives, such as naproxen or piroxicam 1, 2

Ibuprofen has one of the shortest half-lives among commonly used NSAIDs, with a half-life of 2-6 hours, similar to ketoprofen and indomethacin 2
The classification of NSAIDs by half-life is as follows:

For perioperative management, ibuprofen can be safely discontinued closer to surgery than NSAIDs with longer half-lives 1, 2