[Use of acetaminophen in the community]

Acetaminophen (Acamol) is one of the most widely used medications in children. The recommended dose is 10-15 mg/kg every 4 hours, and up to 5 doses a day. In a prospective study in an outpatient clinic, 101 parents of children 5 years old or younger were asked to describe their use of acetaminophen for their children, including dose, mode administration and maximal frequency of administration for fever. 2/3 used the syrup and 1/3 used suppositories. The average single dose was 13.8 +/- 5.5 mg/kg. Only 61% of the children received reasonable quantities of acetaminophen per dose. While 12% got an overdose of 20 mg/kg or more, 27% got an underdose of less than 10 mg/kg. Treatment was as often as every 2-3 hours in 13% of the children but only once every 8-24 hours in 22%. To overcome inadequate administration of acetaminophen, parents must be properly educated.