Among all antipyretic drugs used in childhood, the most popular is "Paracetamol". It effectively brings down the temperature and helps to eliminate pains of different localization. Especially for children's use, such a drug is produced in the form of a sweet suspension and rectal suppositories. Depending on how old the child is, ordinary tablets may work for him.
Release form and composition
Tableted "Paracetamol" is produced by different pharmaceutical companies, so in pharmacies you can find not only a medicine with this name, but also tablets, on the box of which there is a mark about the manufacturer (such drugs are called "Paracetamol MS", "Paracetamol-LECT", "Paracetamol-UBF" etc).
Usually, the solid form of the drug looks like small round tablets that are white, but it can also be white-yellow or white-cream. They are packaged in blisters and sold in boxes of 10 or more. The main ingredient in any of these medicines is also called paracetamol. Depending on the amount per tablet, the medicine is made in two dosages - 200 mg and 500 mg. Abroad, tableted "Paracetamol" is also available in a dose of 325 mg.
The auxiliary components of the drug differ from company to company. Among them, you can see gelatin, starch, povidone and other ingredients.
If a child has an intolerance to such substances, they should be specified in the annotation to the selected tablets.
Operating principle
After the tablets enter the stomach, paracetamol is absorbed quickly enough, after which this substance penetrates with the bloodstream to the brain tissues and affects the centers of pain and thermoregulation. In these centers, under the action of such a compound, cyclooxygenases are blocked (these enzymes affect the synthesis of prostaglandins), as a result of which pain is eliminated, and the body temperature returns to normal.
In peripheral tissues, the action of paracetamol is prevented cellular peroxidases... Due to their presence, the anti-inflammatory effect of the drug is practically absent, but tablets also do not have a side effect on water-salt metabolism and the gastric mucosa.
Indications
Tableted "Paracetamol" is used in various cases:
- As an antipyretic medicine for fever caused by vaccinations, childhood infections, flu or other illness.
- As a pain reliever, if the pain is not expressed or moderate (for pain in the ear, headache, sore throat, toothache, etc.).
Is it possible for children?
"Paracetamol" tablets are not used in the treatment of patients under six years of age. If the child is not yet 6 years old, for example, he is only 2 or 4 years old, then instead of a solid form, they give "Paracetamol" in suspension or put candles. A medicine in such forms is allowed from 3 months of age and is most often chosen for both children under 1 year of age and for preschoolers. They are often used in children 7-8 years old or older, if it is difficult for a child to swallow a pill.
Contraindications
The tablets should not be given to small patients with the following features:
- Intolerance to paracetamol or any auxiliary component.
- Peptic ulcer or erosive changes in the gastrointestinal tract wall.
- The absence of glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase in the body.
- Bleeding from the walls of the digestive tract.
In addition, the medicine is not used if the child has serious blood diseases, liver dysfunction, or renal failure.
Side effects
Taking "Paracetamol" can provoke itchy skin, rashes or other signs of an allergic reaction. In rare cases, such pills adversely affect blood formation, gastrointestinal tract or liver function. If any side effects appear, the medication is advised to be canceled, and the child needs show a doctor immediately.
Instructions for use
"Paracetamol" is taken 1 to 3 times a day, swallowing a tablet 1-2 hours after a meal and drinking it with water. The dosage is determined based on the patient's age. If, say, a child is 7 years old, then 200 mg can be given at one dose, and at 14 years old, a single dosage is 500 mg. Age also affects the maximum permissible daily dose - it is 1.5 g for patients 6-9 years old, 2 g for children 9-12 years old and 4 g for adolescents from 12 years old and older.
The interval between pills should not be shorter than 4 hours. If the medicine is prescribed for pain syndrome, the duration of use is up to 5 days, longer treatment is possible only under the supervision of a doctor.
If the tablets are used for an antipyretic effect, then the course of administration should not exceed three days.
Overdose
If a child takes too many Paracetamol tablets, it will provoke vomiting, stomach cramps, loose stools and other negative symptoms of gastrointestinal irritation. A very large dose of the drug is dangerous for the liver, and since signs of damage to this organ do not appear immediately and can lead to serious consequences, a child with an overdose must be examined by a doctor (even if his health is in order).
Combination with other drugs
You should not combine the reception of "Paracetamol" and other drugs based on the same active ingredient, because this will increase the risk of overdose. Without a doctor's prescription, it is also not recommended to give the tablets together with other antipyretic drugs (for example, acetylsalicylic acid or ibuprofen preparations).
In addition, the annotation to "Paracetamol" contains a fairly large list of other drugs that are incompatible with it. If the child is taking any medication, it should be clarified whether it can be combined with such tablets.
Terms of sale
Like other dosage forms, Paracetamol tablets are sold without a prescription. The price of the drug is influenced by both the manufacturing company and the size of the package. On average, 10 tablets containing paracetamol in a dose of 200 mg each cost 3 rubles.
Storage features
The shelf life of a medicine may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and is usually 3 or 5 years. It is advised to keep the medication at home at temperatures up to +25 degrees, choosing a place inaccessible to babies for its storage.
Reviews
On the treatment with tableted Paracetamol, they respond mostly positively. According to the parents, this drug has a pronounced antipyretic and analgesic effect, as well as good tolerance. The tablets are small, so it is usually easy for a child 6-7 years of age or older to swallow them. The cost of this form of "Paracetamol" is called low, which is also attributed to the advantages of the medication. Among the shortcomings, they often mention short duration of action (in most cases up to 4 hours).
"Paracetamol" effervescent tablets
Such a drug is produced by Hemofarm and is presented in plastic tubes, inside which there are from 10 to 40 white round tablets. They contain 500 mg of paracetamol, supplemented with lemon flavor, lactose, silicone emulsion, sodium saccharinate and several other substances. Such effervescent tablets are prescribed children over 6 years old. The medication is dissolved before taking in a glass of water.
If the patient is under 9 years old, then he is given only half of the tablet, but you can dissolve the whole tablet if necessary. Such "Paracetamol" is taken 1-3 times a day, and the maximum dosage is considered three effervescent tablets for a child 6-9 years old, six effervescent tablets for a patient 9-12 years old and 12 effervescent tablets for a child over 12 years old.
"Paracetamol Extratab"
A feature of this medication, which is produced in the form of white-yellow oblong tablets, is the presence in the composition of not only 500 mg of paracetamol, but also 150 mg of ascorbic acid. This is a solid analogue of Paracetamol Extra powders, approved from the age of six. Children 6-12 years old the drug "Paracetamol Extratab" is given 1/2 tablet up to 4 times a day, and a teenager over 12 years old needs a whole tablet at one time.
Analogs
Any other tablet preparation with the same active ingredient, for example, can replace "Paracetamol" in tablets. Efferalgan or Panadol... Also, instead of these drugs, the doctor may recommend a remedy with a similar therapeutic effect, for example, "Ibuprofen", "Mig 400", "Faspik" or "Nurofen". The basis of such tablets is ibuprofen, which, like paracetamol, effectively brings down the temperature, but at the same time it lasts a little longer (up to 6-8 hours).
In some cases, instead of such antipyretic drugs, the pediatrician may prescribe other pills, for example, "Voltaren", "Nise", "Nimesil", "Analgin", "Next" or Diclofenac... However, the use of these drugs without the supervision of a doctor is not recommended, because such drugs have their own age restrictions and contraindications, and their action is due to different active substances.
For information on what medicines to use as antipyretics, see the next video.
