Oral paracetamol dosing in hospitalised children in the UK

Paracetamol dosing for children in UK hospitals causes debate and disagreement between clinicians. We think that the current recommendations in the British National Formulary for Children (BNFC) for oral paracetamol contribute to this. The doses recommended for all indications, except postoperative pain, are based on the age of the child rather than their weight.1 We understand that the BNFC reflects the recommended dose for over-the-counter (OTC) use of paracetamol and therefore needs to be easy for parents to use, however, additional information about suitable doses for hospitalised children is needed. We decided to survey clinicians to see if it was possible to gain consensus on which doses should be used for paediatric inpatients. We surveyed UK clinicians (paediatric anaesthetists, pain nurse specialists and pharmacists) in June 2020 to examine paracetamol dosing preferences for hospitalised children. Forty-six paediatric acute care clinical sites with representation from the UK paediatric...
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: PostScript Source Type: research