Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2025
A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
Published on: November 9, 2016
National Intravenous Acetaminophen Use in Pediatric Inpatients From 2011-2016
Anita K Patel1,2, Jiaxiang Gai3,2, Eduardo Trujillo-Rivera1,2
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care Medicine DC (AKP, MMP), Children's National Health System, Washington, DC.
Insights
Intravenous acetaminophen use in pediatric inpatients is increasing. Prescribing IV acetaminophen alongside opioids was associated with a 54.8% longer opioid duration, indicating its use to supplement pain management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pharmacology
- Pain management
- Health services research
Background:
- Intravenous (IV) acetaminophen is increasingly used for pain management in pediatric patients.
- Understanding current IV acetaminophen prescription patterns and its impact on opioid use is crucial for optimizing pediatric pain care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the current utilization of IV acetaminophen in pediatric inpatients.
- To investigate the association between opioid medication duration and the concurrent use of IV acetaminophen.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of pediatric inpatients who received IV acetaminophen between January 2011 and June 2016.
- Data sourced from the national Health Facts database.
- Multivariate analysis to assess the impact on opioid duration.
Main Results:
- IV acetaminophen was administered to 2.0% of pediatric inpatients, with usage increasing over time.
- Patients receiving IV acetaminophen had higher rates of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and hospital mortality.
- Concurrent use of IV acetaminophen with opioids was linked to a 54.8% increase in opioid duration.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first assessment of IV acetaminophen prescription practices in pediatric inpatients.
- IV acetaminophen prescription was more common in non-operative patients.
- IV acetaminophen use is associated with longer opioid durations, suggesting its role in multimodal pain management.
Objective:
To 1) determine current intravenous (IV) acetaminophen use in pediatric inpatients; and 2) determine the association between opioid medication duration when used with or without IV acetaminophen.
Methods:
A retrospective analysis of pediatric inpatients exposed to IV acetaminophen from January 2011 to June 2016, using the national database Health Facts.
Results:
Eighteen thousand one hundred ninety-seven (2.0%) of 893,293 pediatric inpatients received IV acetaminophen for a median of 14 doses per patient (IQR, 8-56). A greater proportion of IV acetaminophen patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (14.8% vs 5.1%, p < 0.0001), received positive pressure ventilation (2.0% vs 1.5%, p < 0.0001), had a higher hospital mortality rate (0.9% vs 0.3%, p < 0.0001), and were operative (35.5% vs 12.8%, p < 0.001) than those not receiving IV acetaminophen. The most common operations associated with IV acetaminophen use were musculoskeletal and digestive system operations. Prescription of IV acetaminophen increased over time, both in prescription rates and number of per patient doses. Of the 18,197 patients prescribed IV acetaminophen, 16,241 (89.2%) also were prescribed opioids during their hospitalization. A multivariate analysis revealed patients prescribed both IV acetaminophen and opioids had a 54.8% increase in opioid duration as compared with patients who received opioids alone.
Conclusions:
This is the first study to assess IV acetaminophen prescription practices for pediatric inpatients. Intravenous acetaminophen prescription was greater in the non-operative pediatric inpatient population than operative patients. Intravenous acetaminophen prescription was associated with an increase in opioid duration as compared with patients who received opioids alone, suggesting that it is commonly used to supplement opioids for pain relief.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
01:30Acute Kidney Injury IV: Diagnostic Studies and Prevention
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
01:25Routes of Drug Administration: Parenteral
The intravenous route (IV) of drug administration can be further categorized into two types. The bolus injection administers the entire dose rapidly, while an intravenous infusion slowly delivers smaller doses steadily.
The IV route is often...
01:30Acute Pharyngitis
Acute pharyngitis is the inflammation of the back of the throat (pharynx), commonly resulting in a sore throat. It is a frequently encountered condition that prompts individuals to seek medical advice.
Classification
Acute pharyngitis can be categorized based on its underlying cause:
01:27Acute Pyelonephritis I: Introduction