An increase in body temperature in diseases indicates the body's resistance to infections, but sometimes a safe threshold is exceeded and the temperature needs to be urgently brought down with drugs.
For children, many parents and specialists most often recommend using Paracetamol, since it is considered the safest. The substance has a bright analgesic and antipyretic effect and is a non-narcotic non-steroidal analgesic. Children's "Paracetamol" today can be purchased from almost every pharmaceutical company, only under different names. At the same time, its effect, indications and dosage are always unchanged.
Pharmacology
The main active substance of any drug containing paracetamol is para-acetaminophenol.
Absorption into the blood occurs very quickly, and the maximum concentration in the body is reached already thirty minutes after ingestion, at this time you can already notice a decrease in temperature. Children's “Paracetamol" has the maximum effect after 60-90 minutes, when body temperature reaches the lowest possible mark in this situation. The drug splits in the liver, forming metabolites, and is excreted in the urine.
Release Forms
This medication is one of the most popular around the world, therefore it is produced in several forms. At the same time, even in countries with strict control over the sale of medicines, it is possible to purchase Paracetamol for children without problems. So, the drug can be bought in the form of:
- tablets of various doses (200 mg, 325 mg and 0.5 g);
- capsules for adults;
- effervescent tablets for adults;
- injection solution;
- baby syrup and suspension;
- rectal suppositories with a substance concentration of 50 mg to 0.5 g.
For the treatment of children, candles, suspensions, syrups and rarely tablets are used. In especially severe cases, and only under the supervision of specialists, injections can be used.
Syrup dosage
Children's suspension “Paracetamol" always tastes good and does not cause discomfort in babies, therefore it is recommended for the treatment of the smallest patients. Depending on the manufacturer and the diagnosis, this form is allowed to be used from the first to third month of life. The dosage in such cases is individually determined only by the pediatrician, and it is measured by a special measuring syringe or spoon, which is in each package of the product.
For babies 6-12 months at a time, it is allowed to give 2.5-5 ml of syrup, which, respectively, is 60-120 mg of the substance, depending on weight.
For children 1-3 years old, a single dose is already determined in 5-7.5 ml of suspension, and for preschool children aged 3-6 years - 7.5-10 ml.
The dosage of Paracetamol infant suspension should always take into account the weight of the child so as not to exceed the allowable daily intake of the substance. For children under 12 years, the maximum dose is 15 ml, which corresponds to 360 mg. In some cases, a child at this age may already be prescribed an adult dose and taking pills, especially if his weight is more than normal.
It is very important to observe the interval between doses of at least 4 hours, otherwise there is a risk of an overdose. If during this period of time it is required to additionally reduce the temperature, then you should use a febrifuge based on another active substance, for example, Nurofen. You need to drink the medicine an hour after eating. To dilute syrup with liquid before use is forbidden even to the smallest children, but drinking it with water is not only possible, but also necessary, and in large quantities. The suspension is faster than other forms for oral administration.
Using suppositories
Paracetamol baby candles are also produced by many drug manufacturers under their own names. They are used in the treatment of babies as often as syrup. Their advantage is that the time of administration does not depend on meals, and the absorption of the active substance into the body through the walls of the intestine completely eliminates any stomach reaction to the drug. It is necessary to introduce candles into the anus, putting the baby on its side and slightly bending its legs. The frequency of administration should also not exceed 4 times a day at intervals of 4 hours. If treatment is carried out simultaneously with syrup and suppositories, then alternate and they should be among themselves after 4 hours, not earlier, because, regardless of the form of release, a high concentration of the same active substance penetrates the body.
The dosage of suppositories for babies up to 3 months is determined only by a specialist and is used exclusively under the supervision of pediatricians.
For small patients up to 1 year old, children’s “Paracetamol” is administered 1 suppository with a dosage of 0.08 g. For children under 3 years of age, a single dose is doubled. For children aged 3-6 years, for one administration, you can use the concentration of the substance already up to 330 mg, and for older children, depending on weight and age (up to 12 years), increase the dosage already to an adult at 0.5 g per administration.
It is important to remember that taking Paracetamol in any form is allowed only for 3 days. Under the supervision of a doctor, therapy can be extended up to 5 days.
Tablet form
For the treatment of children, this form of the drug is used quite rarely. Children's "Paracetamol" in tablets is available in a dosage of 200 mg and is allowed in the treatment of patients no younger than 2 years old.
Here, the matter is most likely not in the dosage of the drug itself, but in the fact that young patients are reluctant to drink unpleasant tasting powder of crushed tablets, and simply cannot swallow it whole.
White tablets with a risk and a facet are packed in cardboard packs with an annotation and blisters inside. Children 6-12 years old can take a whole tablet, but babies 2-6 years old will have to divide each pill in half. Patients over 12 years of age are prescribed 2 tablets per dose.
In order for the dosage of children's Paracetamol in any form not to be exceeded, it should be taken at intervals of only 4 hours or more.
Indications for admission
When using this substance, it should be understood that the drug does not cure any disease, but only relieves certain pain and reduces body temperature, that is, it only stops symptoms. It is necessary to give the baby Paracetamol syrup if the temperature rises above 38.5 degrees in order to avoid seizures and alleviate its condition. If the temperature rises only to 38 degrees, then it is recommended to use rectal suppositories.
It is allowed to use the medication to relieve pain and babies during teething, as well as in children with headaches, neuralgia and other ailments.
Overdose
Even the most careful parents can make a mistake in treating their baby and provoke poisoning. The most common cause of overdose is a rush when parents start to panic due to the baby’s body temperature increase and want to bring her down as quickly as possible. In addition, the use of children's "Paracetamol" in the treatment of many diseases is always carried out in parallel with other drugs, which may also contain this active substance. Thus, the dosage must be adjusted taking into account the additional consumption of paracetamol from other medicines.
Panic of parents about unshakable temperature can cause the allowable amount of mg of children's Paracetamol to be received with the instruction without observing the interval between doses. Thus, the concentration of the substance in the blood will be exceeded. As mentioned earlier, in such situations, it is necessary to alternate the active components of the drugs. An overdose can be triggered by improper division of the pill.
There is a likelihood that the baby himself will get to the medicine and drink it. That is why all medicines must be stored in a place inaccessible to children.
Effects
As a rule, the negative consequences of an overdose are observed only in those cases when the norm was exceeded to a toxic level. For babies weighing less than 10 kg, this is 1.5 g per day, and for patients weighing more than 20 kg - 3 g. In such cases, vomiting, nausea, and pain in the abdomen can occur.
If at least one symptom occurs, medical attention should be called immediately. Timely administration of an antidote (within 8-10 hours after an overdose) and enterosorbents will help to avoid serious consequences, including even deaths.
Pregnancy
Very often, infant forms of drugs are recommended for use during treatment during gestation or breastfeeding. "Paracetamol" in these cases can be more harmful, since it has been proven by studies that when taking it in the second trimester of pregnancy, newborns develop respiratory disorders, asthma or allergies. That is why it is prescribed very rarely and only in the absence of other treatment options. In the third trimester, the drug is strictly prohibited.
Through breast milk, the substance is also able to have a toxic effect on the baby, so if necessary, it is better to find a replacement drug.
Bans to use
Suspension of children's "Paracetamol", like any of its other forms, is prohibited for use in patients with personal intolerance to the active substance. When prescribing to children, the sensitivity of the next of kin to this drug is first studied.
The ban for suspension and suppositories is the age of up to one month and for tablets - up to 2 years.
In addition, severe contraindications are diseases of the kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract and intolerance to NSAIDs.
With caution, the drug is used in patients with diabetes mellitus, viral hepatitis, chronic alcoholism, alcoholic liver damage and simultaneous treatment with anticoagulants or glucocorticosteroids. With prolonged use, the medication causes the development of nephropathy and a serious form of renal failure, and can also cause the discovery of gastric or intestinal bleeding. Adults should remember that drinking alcohol with paracetamol provokes severe toxic liver damage.
Possible negative consequences
Side effects from the use of Paracetamol suspension in children are observed only in case of exceeding the dose or increasing the duration of therapy for a period of more than 5 days. If necessary, the patient should be constantly monitored by specialists who are required to regularly monitor the state of his blood and liver.
If treatment is carried out at home, it is necessary to pay attention to the appearance of the following reactions indicating the toxic effects of paracetamol on the body:
- immune system - skin rash, urticaria, any allergic manifestations;
- digestive system - nausea, stomach pain, dyspepsia symptoms, impaired liver function;
- hematopoiesis - anemia, a change in blood counts;
- cardiovascular system - lowering blood pressure, impaired cardiac conduction;
- urinary system - symptoms of jade, impaired renal function.
With the correct dosage and duration of the course of treatment, the drug does not provoke any negative consequences in any of its forms.
Drug interaction
In addition to the fact that when taking drugs with an additional content of paracetamol, it is necessary to adjust the dosage, the medication in question can have a serious toxic effect on the body while using it with Analgin. Their interaction can lead to hypothermia, anaphylactic shock and a state of collapse. In case of acute need, in a short time to lower the body temperature, replace “Paracetamol” with another medication.
Analogues of the drug
It is wrong to call analogues medicines of various companies with an absolutely identical composition. All of them are the same "Paracetamol", they are only produced under their brand names and differ in different flavors in the composition. Of course, the more popular the brand, the more expensive its product will be. Among the most popular syrups are “Panadol”, “Efferalgan”, “Kalpol” and others. Domestic suspension "Paracetamol" with a similar composition will cost an order of magnitude cheaper than those listed.
In the form of tablets, the choice of paracetamol-based medicines is much greater, since the concentration of the substance is already calculated for the treatment of adult patients.
According to the properties exerted on the body, the drug has analogues based on ibuprofen. The choice of parents in most cases depends on how much the children's Paracetamol acts. The fact is that paracetamol reduces body temperature by 1-2 degrees, but at the same time retains its effect for only 4 hours, and sometimes even less. Ibuprofen-based medications (Nurofen, Nise, and others) can last up to 8 hours and additionally have an anti-inflammatory effect, but have a wider list of contraindications and possible side effects. Use for children "Aspirin" or "Analgin" is strictly prohibited.