Knowledge and practices of paracetamol administration among caregivers of pediatric age group patients

Ramanayake, R.P.J.C.; Jayasinghe, LR; Silva, A H W De; Wijesinghe, W A T A; Kanaganayagam, N

doi:10.4103/2249-4863.94448

Cited by 11 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The current study explored the knowledge and practices of administration of paracetamol to children. Confirming with the available literature, most of the parents incorrectly believed that children's paracetamol syrup is more concentrated than infant drops (3,9) which can lead to either overdose or underdose. Further, the situation is complicated with the availability of number of brands with varying concentrations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…The questionnaire was developed based on published literature (9). It consisted of four sections to cover demographic characteristics, knowledge of parents on calculation and measuring the dose, frequency of administration, available forms etc.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The recommended dose of paracetamol is 10 -15 mg/kg body weight, can go up to 75 mg/kg body weight/day, but should not exceed 100 mg/kg body weight/day as it is likely to cause hepatotoxicity. There should be at least four to six hours gap between each paracetamol dose to prevent overdosing (9).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Administration of paracetamol to children; do parents adhere to recommendations?

2018

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Introduction: Fever is a common health problem in childhood. Parents often administer paracetamol to children without consulting a doctor since it is a widely available over the counter drug. The aim of this study was to find out knowledge and practices of administration of paracetamol for children below the age of five years. Methods: Community based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out using a pre-tested interviewer administered questioner in Bope-Poddla Medical Officer of Health area. Results: One hundred and six parents participated (89.6% female). Mean age (SD) of participants was 32 (5.9) years. All parents were aware of the availability of tablets and syrup. Only 55.7% was aware of suppositories. Majority (95.3%) of the participants did not know the recommended dose. More than half of the parents (62.3%) administered paracetamol without a medical advice. The association between use of package label instruction with correct dosing was statistically significant (p = 0.04). The commonly used measuring device was a measuring cup (83%). Among the seven teaspoon users, two knew its capacity correctly. Fifty-nine percent of the parents gave weight appropriate dose; 15.1% had given subtherapeutic dose and 25.5% given supratherapeutic dose. Level of education was not associated with correct dosing (p = 0.1). There were statistically significant associations between the age group of the participants with correct dosing (p = 0.04). The recommended dosing frequency was exceeded by 50.9%. Conclusions: Administration of supratherapeutic and subtherapeutic doses of paracetamol to children under five years old is not uncommon. Further, parents are not adhering to the recommended frequency of administration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Administration of paracetamol to children; do parents adhere to recommendations?

2018

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“…Similar findings were obtained from a study conducted in Srilanka which reported the significant association between pattern of administration and dosage quantity (p=0.03 and X 2 =3.183). 3 Only 30 (19.3%) of the subjects were aware of the side effects of paracetamol overdose and significant number 37 (23.7%) did not agree with the statement that paracetamol overdose causes liver toxicity. This might be because of the misconceptions like it is widely used drug so it is weak and less risky than the other drugs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This is supported by the fact proved by many studies that paracetamol is the most commonly used antipyretic and analgesic in children. [1][2][3]6,8 The administration of paracetamol by self medication 90 (57.6%) is far more than by doctor's prescription 66 (42.3% The finding that 39 (25%) administered above the recommended dose is supported by a study from Sri Lanka which reported that 43% subjects gave supratherapeutic dose of paracetamol. 3 Most of the subjects 57% (below recommended dose) and 54% (above recommended dose) administered same amount of ≤10 mg/kg/dose less and more than the recommended dose respectively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extent and pattern of paracetamol usage for children and knowledge and attitude towards its usage among parents attending an outpatient clinic in Warangal district of Telangana

Nithisha

Sharma

2018

Int J Community Med Public Health

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Background: Paracetamol is the commonest available analgesic and antipyretic. It is readily accessed from pharmacy and provisional shops as over the counter drug, misuse of which can result in serious side effects like hepatic injury. The incidence of paracetamol overdose and toxicity is increasing today in India. However, there is little research published on same. So the present study was carried out to identify the extent and pattern of paracetamol usage for children and the knowledge and attitude of parents towards it.Methods: Present cross sectional study was carried out in an outpatient clinic in Warangal district of Telangana among 183 parents whose child had suffered from fever within one month of attending the clinic. Data was collected by interview technique using a pre tested questionnaire and analyzed using EPI INFO 7 3.5.Results: Out of 183 subjects, 156 (85.2%) had given paracetamol (single and combination) for fever. Of these156, 39 (25%) gave excess dose than permitted for the weight of the child. 105 (58%) had self medicated. The dosage per day was significantly more in self medicaters (p≤0.01). 36 (23%) had the misconception that paracetamol overdose does not cause liver toxicity. 128 (89%) of 143 subjects who gave incorrect dosage stated that it is not harmful to self administer and they advise others to self medicate.Conclusions: The knowledge of daily dosage and side effects of paracetamol is poor. The overall view is “self medication of paracetamol is not harmful”. This attitude of caregivers may pose a potential risk for paracetamol overdose unless they are educated.

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An assessment of parents’ knowledge and awareness regarding paracetamol use in children: a cross-sectional study from Palestine

et al. 2021

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Background Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is one of the most common antipyretic and analgesic over-the-counter (OTC) medicines administered to children due to its efficacy, safety, and availability in many pharmaceutical forms, including suppositories, syrup, and drops. Parents frequently administer the wrong dose of paracetamol by mistake for their children, as reported by many previous studies. We aimed in this study to assess parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding paracetamol dosing and toxicity, as well as their awareness regarding paracetamol-containing products. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that targeted parents of children seeking healthcare services at primary health care centers in the Nablus area in the West Bank, Palestine. We used questionnaire-based interviews with parents for data collection. Results A total of 300 parents were included in the study. Most of the caregivers surveyed were (87%) females (mothers). About half the parents (50.9%) reported previously using paracetamol as an antipyretic in children under the age of six. A quarter (25.4%) preferred the syrup forms, while 33.8% preferred the suppository dosage form. Medical personnel was the primary source of information for half the caregivers (51.2%). The mean knowledge score about paracetamol was 2.1 (SD = 1.4) out of 6, and the median was 2.0 with an interquartile range of 1.0–3.0. Two hundred seventy-four (95.5%) of the participants scored less than 80% and were considered to have insufficient knowledge. Only 50.9% of parents recognized that paracetamol overdose could result in serious harm. Conclusions We found a serious lack of knowledge regarding paracetamol dosing, administration, and potential toxicity among Palestinian parents. We recommend raising awareness regarding this problem among healthcare providers and authorities and working on plans that aim to provide caregivers with accurate and adequate information on dosing, formulation, side effects, and other aspects of paracetamol use, as well as developing effective educational plans targeting healthcare providers, as well as the public.

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Knowledge and practices of paracetamol administration among caregivers of pediatric age group patients

Cited by 11 publications

References 4 publications

Administration of paracetamol to children; do parents adhere to recommendations?

Administration of paracetamol to children; do parents adhere to recommendations?

Extent and pattern of paracetamol usage for children and knowledge and attitude towards its usage among parents attending an outpatient clinic in Warangal district of Telangana

An assessment of parents’ knowledge and awareness regarding paracetamol use in children: a cross-sectional study from Palestine

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