Paracetamol

Paracetamol is an analgesic or pain killing drugs which can be administered for the following condition – Soothing pains of mild and moderate conditions like sprains, headaches, toothaches and symptoms associated with cold or for controlling fever, which is known medically as pyrexia in cases like influenza.

Administration of paracetamol in children

Paracetamol can be used in babies when they are three months old. But in certain cases where the baby is below three months and is suffering from fever or any pain due to vaccination, then paracetamol can be administered under the supervision of a doctor. The dose will be some what like one dose within every four or six hours.

Babies who are two or three months old can be given even two doses of paracetamol at a time, subject to the following conditions – The baby weighs a minimum of four kilos and the baby was not a premature one, that is born before completing thirty seven weeks.

But still if the fever does not improve, the doctor must be consulted.

Paracetamol is also known as acetaminophen in other places.

How does paracetamol function

Paracetamol acts as an analgesic. This affects the prostaglandins, which are certain types of chemicals present in the body of humans. Prostaglandins are those chemicals which are released when a person suffers from any injury or illness.

The prostaglandins thus produced are blocked if a person uses paracetamol. This will aid in the body to become aware of the injury of pain to a lesser extent.

The level of body temperature associated with fever is reduced by the paracetamol by acting on that area of the brain which is responsible controlling the body temperature.

What all things or factors must be considered while administering paracetamol to a person,
People who are suffering from any one of the conditions given below must use paracetamol very carefully. The conditions are liver or hepatic problems, kidney or renal problems and the excessive dependency on alcohol.

The dose which must be administered should not exceed that the advised dose on packet or by the doctor.

Paracetamol must never be used with other drugs that already have paracetamol in them.

Administration in pregnancy

Use of paracetamol during pregnancy has not been proved to have any harmful effects on the mother and baby. But only short doses of paracetamol must be taken for alleviating the pain and headaches which a pregnant woman may experience.

Administration while breastfeeding

Since the amount of paracetamol passed to the baby from the mother is very small, paracetamol is considered as the best analgesic which can be used for easing the pains that a mother may experience while breastfeeding her baby.

Side effects

Even though it is very rare for a person to develop side effects after using paracetamol, certain cases have showed that side effects do exist with this analgesic also. The side effects which may be experienced rarely are; development of rashes, disorders related to blood, lowering of blood pressure of hypotension may be felt during intravenous administration of paracetamol and damages to the kidney and liver if the dose exceeds the recommended level.