OBJECTIVETo survey the incidence of acute febrile reaction in elderly patients receiving intravenous zoledronic acid for osteoporosis and identify the related factors.

METHODSThirty-eight elderly patients with osteoporosis were hospitalized and treated with intravenous infusion of 5 mg zoledronic acid in 2010. The incidence of acute fever reaction was observed in these patients , and the time of fever onset, duration, average maximum temperature, and antipyretic drug used were recorded. The patients with and without acute febrile reaction were compared for age, duration of osteoporosis, sex ratio, use of parathyroid hormone before zoledronic acid treatment, β-fragment of collagen breakdown, calcitonin, osteocalcin, serum calcium, and use of anti-osteoporosis drugs before the treatment.

RESULTSAcute fever reaction occurred in 12 (31.6%) of the patients. Two of the patients had fever on the day of zoledronic acid treatment, and the other patients developed fever after the first day of treatment, with a mean duration of 1 day and a maximum temperature of (38.5∓0.84) degrees celsius;. The fever was treated with a mean of 3.55∓1.21 pseudoephedrine tablets. The patients with fever showed significantly higher parathyroid hormone levels before treatment than those without fever (P<0.05); osteocalcin, calcitonin, β-fragment of collagen breakdown, or serum calcium showed no significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONAcute febrile reaction, often moderate and transient, is common in elderly patients receiving intravenous zoledronic acid for osteoporosis, and its occurrence is possibly associated with parathyroid hormone levels before the treatment.