How is the dose of Paracetamol for children safe?

How is Paracetamol dose for children safe to reduce fever? What kind of medicine is this? What types are there? Children use, have allergies? 

What is paracetamol?

Paracetamol has many brand names such as Acemol, Dafalgan, Efferalgan, Fevramol. Oralgan ... Paracetamol pharmaceutical ingredient in medicine helps to relieve pain and reduce fever.

After taking about 15-30 minutes, the drug will begin to work, and reach maximum effect after 3 hours (lower 1.5-2.25 degrees C) and keep working for 3-4 hours. Therefore, a minimum of 4 hours must be used apart. The drug is metabolized in the liver to a substance dissolved in water and excreted in the urine.

Paracetamol forms: tablets, powder, liquid medicine, suppository, nuggets, injections ...

How to use each drug

Inflammation of tablets, capsules, capsules: Swallow whole or dissolve with boiling water to cool.

Effervescent tablets: drop into a cup of boiling water to cool, wait for it to dissolve and drink.

Suppositories: remove the package, wet the pill with water and place it in the child's anus (large head first) and push the pill completely into the anus using your fingers.

Paracetamol for children is usually prepared in the form of powder and anal suppositories, with a content of 80 mg, 150 mg and 250 mg. Suppositories are used when a child has a feverish fever that cannot drink it, or is vomiting. 

How is the dose of Paracetamol for children safe?

Children are special subjects, so when calculating the dose of paracetamol for children is usually calculated by mg drug / kg weight of the baby. That is, children with paracetamol are given a dose of 10-15mg of paracetamol / kg of baby's weight each time. For example, children weighing 10kg will use 100-150mg of paracetamol each time.

According to Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, former head of the Department of Pediatrics, Bach Mai Hospital, the usual dose of paracetamol for children per day is from 10-15 mg / kg per oral dose and not exceeding 60 mg / kg in a day. Drink no more than 4-6 times a day, the interval between uses 4-6 hours. When giving the medicine to a child, to adhere to a safe distance between two doses, otherwise an overdose will occur. 

Adverse effects when parents lack knowledge about the dose of paracetamol for children

In general, Paracetamol is a less toxic and safe drug to use, but it is a drug and is used for children, you must be aware of and do not overdose.

If the drug is overdosed (over 100 mg / kg / 24 hours), the child may develop:

Discomfort, irritation, sweating

Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions , coma.

Sometimes there are no symptoms, but the liver is still damaged (irreversible necrosis) which is very dangerous.

According to Dr. Phan Hong Sang, Deputy Head of the Department of Anti-Poison Active Rehabilitation, Center of Obstetrics and Pediatrics, Phu Tho General Hospital, "If you overdose on fever-reducing medicine, your child is at risk of liver, kidney, and respiratory failure. steam, circulatory failure, even death without timely intervention ".

Some causes lead to miscalculation or abuse of paracetamol doses for children

Children take the wrong medicine

Parents give their children 2 doses too close together (less than 4 hours apart). This situation is easy to see when the family is overheating when the baby is not feverish and gives more drinks.

Both taking tablets and analgesics with different names, but both of which are brand-name drugs of Paracetamol.

Do not notify your doctor because you forget or intentionally forget about paracetamol doses for children at home when you go to the doctor, and your doctor will give you more ...

Children taking paracetamol have allergies?

Allergic cases, hypersensitivity to paracetamol, or any other ingredient of the drug, is not uncommon. Therefore, if using the first time, parents must observe the child's reaction to the drug.

Drug allergy is rare, manifested by a patchy skin rash, itching, and urticaria . In severe cases, it can cause bleeding under the skin, hematuria. Need to take the child immediately to the hospital.

With children, the use of drugs must be really very careful. No matter how common a drug is in use, it's safest to consult your doctor before giving it to parents.

See more:

Critical of paracetamol overdose - A lesson to alert parents when reducing fever for their children

Answering the eternal question: Can breastfeeding mothers drink paracetamol?

4 principles to keep in mind when using Paracetamol antipyretics for children