Antipyretics, including acetaminophen (paracetamol), are prescribed commonly in children with pyrexia, despite minimal evidence of a clinical benefit. A literature review was performed by searching Medline and the Cochrane databases for research papers on the efficacy of paracetamol in febrile illnesses in children and adverse outcomes related to the use of paracetamol. No studies showed any cl...

Background: Paracetamol (acetaminophen, N-acetyl-para-aminophenol) is a well-known antipyretic and analgesic drug. Hypersensitivity reactions to paracetamol are rare. However, we report seven cases of anaphylaxis to paracetamol and a review of the literature. Procedure: Between January 1999 and May 2012, we diagnosed seven cases of anaphylaxis to paracetamol in our Allergy Department of Hospita...

Paracetamol has replaced aspirin as the analgesic of choice in many situations. The major reason is the damaging effect of aspirin on gastric mucosa. Alterations in gastric ionic fluxes and potential difference provide measures of aspirin-induced structural damage. We studied the effect of large doses of paracetamol (acetaminophen 2-0 g) on gastric ionic fluxes in man. In addition, the effect o...

However, we disagree with Dr Lee that the toxicity should be attributed solely to rectal paracetamol. Firstly, the pharmacokinetics of rectal paracetamol have been extensively studied, and it has been suggested that even a rectal regimen of 25 mg/kg every 6 hours for a mean of 2 to 3 days did not result in supratherapeutic concentration. Secondly, because oral and rectal paracetamol are metabol...

Paracetamol (acetaminophen, PCM) is a widely used over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic drug. Intake of a large dose of PCM may result in severe hepatic necrosis. Oxidative stress is mediated by oxidative capacities of the PCM metabolite (N-acetyl-para-benzo quinoneimine, NAPQI), which covalently binds to proteins and other macromolecules to cause cellular damage. At low doses, NAPQI is ...

Introduction: Optimum pain management immediately after surgeries can lower the possibility of pain syndrome and its following consequences. Opioids are amongst the analgesics used for postoperative pain control; however, their application can bring about several adverse effects. In this study, all the published articles regarding efficacy of Paracetamol   in post-cardiac surgery pain managemen...

BACKGROUND Post-operative fever is a common complication of cardiac operations, which is known to be correlated with a greater degree of cognitive dysfunction 6 weeks after cardiac surgery. The aim of the present study was to examine efficacy and safety of single dose intravenous Paracetamol in treatment of post-operative fever in children undergoing cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS In ...

BACKGROUND Exposure to paracetamol during intrauterine life, childhood, and adult life may increase the risk of developing asthma. We studied 6-7-year-old children from Phase Three of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) programme to investigate the association between paracetamol consumption and asthma. METHODS As part of Phase Three of ISAAC, parents or guard...

BACKGROUND Despite a significant increase in the number of patients with paracetamol poisoning in the developing world, plasma paracetamol assays are not widely available. The purpose of this study was to assess a low-cost modified colorimetric paracetamol assay that has the potential to be performed in small laboratories with restricted resources. METHODS The paracetamol assay used in this s...

BACKGROUND Quantitative reviews of postoperative pain management have demonstrated that the number of patients needed to treat for one patient to achieve at least 50% pain relief (NNT) is 2.7 for ibuprofen (400 mg) and 4.6 for paracetamol (1000 mg), both compared with placebo. However, direct comparisons between paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have not been extens...