Paracetamol for a child of 5 years

If we talk about the most popular antipyretic drugs, then first of all mention Paracetamol. Such a drug is considered safe even for infants (it is given from three months of age), it comes in different forms and is well tolerated by the majority of young patients. When and at what dose Paracetamol can be used to treat a child of 5 years and which form is preferable, can the drug pose a danger to the health of a preschooler, and what analogues it is permissible to replace, - these and other questions you will find answers in our article.

Paracetamol (the main substance of the drug with the same name) has the ability to influence the centers located in the brain that regulate the perception of pain and the level of body temperature.

The drug acts on nerve cells by blocking specific enzymes, resulting in its analgesic and antipyretic effect. Such properties affect the indications for use of Paracetamol:

• First, the medicine is used at elevated temperatures. Usually, doctors advise giving Paracetamol if the thermometer indicator exceeds the mark of +38.5 degrees. But in some cases, the drug is prescribed at a lower figure, for example, if the temperature rises in response to the vaccination or the child has a neurological pathology, due to which there is a risk of seizures.
• Secondly, the medication is prescribed for pain, the intensity of which is assessed as moderate or low. Paracetamol helps with headaches, sore throats, various injuries and so on.

Most often, 5-year-old children are prescribed a liquid form of Paracetamol, represented by a sweet strawberry or orange suspension.

This tool is available in glass bottles of 100-200 grams, and for accurate dosing in the box additionally there is a measuring 2-sided spoon or a plastic syringe with graduations. The amount of paracetamol in this medicine (per 5 ml of the drug) is 120 mg.

If paracetamol is prescribed in suspension in case of heat or pain, the following nuances are taken into account:

• medication given after a meal (after about 1-2 hours);
• it is not necessary to dilute the drug with water, but it is advisable to take a drink with a fever so that the child receives more liquid;
• frequency of use - from 1 to 4 times per day;
• the suspension should be given with a pause of at least 4 hours;
• the dosage is calculated by weight (10-15 mg / kg - single, 60 mg / kg - the maximum daily);
• Duration of use at a temperature of 3 days, with pain - up to five days.

Paracetamol in suppositories is in demand for the treatment of 5-year-old children no less than a suspension.This medicine is produced in different dosages, and its main advantage is the simple composition of the parents, because in addition to paracetamol, the candle contains only the fatty base, and there are no any dyes, flavors and other chemical compounds in this form.

Suppositories are discharged in such situations:

• if the child cannot swallow the suspension due to vomiting;
• if the child has an intolerance to the auxiliary components of liquid Paracetamol.

The solid form of Paracetamol, according to the instructions for tablets, is contraindicated in children under 6 years of age. However, in some cases, the use of such drugs is permissible, for example, if it is not possible to give a suspension, and there are only pills at home.

In this case, the dosage of the pill should be clarified with a doctor in order to prevent its excess. The pill is given to the child to swallow and drink it with water, but, if there are difficulties with this, the medicine in the dose prescribed by the pediatrician can crush into powder, mix in a spoon with water and give the baby in this form.

In some patients, as a result of receiving Paracetamol, allergies or other side effects appear, for example, in rare cases, the drug causes negative symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract, and with long-term use it affects blood formation. Danger and represents an overdose of medication, because overdose can damage the child’s liver and cause encephalopathy.

It is important to know that the symptoms of liver damage do not occur immediately, but 12 hours after taking a very large dose of Paracetamol or later. And if a child accidentally took a lot of medicine, it certainly needs to be shown to the doctor, despite the normal state of health.

If a child has a very high temperature, which is a danger to health, doctors knock it down with a mixture of several drugs, called lytic.

The main component of such a mixture is a febrifuge, which can be both Paracetamol and Analgin or another drug for temperature. His complement antihistamine drugfor example, give a child Suprastin.

If the baby has cool limbs and pale skin, this fever is called pale, and the third component is included in the composition of the lytic mixture. it antispasmodichelping to expand peripheral vessels. Most often as such a medicine is used No-shpa.

Paracetamol can be replaced with pain or high temperature with another medicine that has the same active substance, for example, Efferalgan or Panadol.

Also, children are allowed to give ibuprofen drugs (the most popular medication is considered Nurofen), and other medicines with a similar therapeutic effect are used only in cases when it is impossible to give a child a safer remedy.

In the next video, Dr. Komarovsky will talk about how to take paracetamol to children.