PARACETAMOL 100mg. IP

Paracetamol is a widely used analgesic and antipyretic drug for the management of fever and mild-to-moderate pain in infants and children, and is considered the first-line therapy for both according to international guidelines and recommendations. A derivative of acetanilide with antipyretic and analgesic properties, it acts primarily through inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis by blocking cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes centrally, along with activation of descending serotonergic pathways and involvement of cannabinoid and opioid receptor mechanisms. Orally administered paracetamol is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, reaching peak plasma concentrations within 30–60 minutes, and is metabolized mainly through glucuronidation and sulfation, with an elimination half-life of approximately 2–3 hours in children, requiring administration every 4–6 hours. When used in recommended doses, it has few side effects and is remarkably well tolerated in children, making it the first-line choice for treatment of both fever and pain in the paediatric population. Paracetamol is the only agent recommended for use as an antipyretic in newborns and has been proposed as a supplementary therapy to opioids for postoperative analgesia in neonates. Recent evidence shows that when used at a dose of 15 mg/kg, paracetamol is significantly more effective for fever and pain management in children compared to lower subtherapeutic doses.