Only a pediatrician has the right to prescribe antipyretic drugs . However, in some cases, when a child has a fever and a decision needs to be made quickly, there is no time to wait for a doctor. Parents often take on serious responsibility and give the sick baby a cure on their own. In order not to be mistaken, you need to know which drugs are allowed to be given to infants, how to lower the temperature of an older child, and which children's antipyretic drugs are the best.
Medicines designed to quickly bring down the temperature are called antipyretics. Such drugs do not treat, but only contribute to the removal of the symptom by acting on the thermoregulatory point in the hypothalamus. If the child is in fever, then ibuprofen and paracetamol will become the best children's antipyretic drugs.
Prohibited antipyretic for children
Antipyretic medicines have many commercial names. In addition, they are distinguished by the manufacturer, dosage form, attractiveness of the package and, of course, cost. Most of these drugs are divided into 2 groups, depending on the active substance. These may be ibuprofen or paracetamol-based drugs.
However, there are such medications that children are strictly forbidden to take:
- Analgin can cause adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting, anemia, and dizziness. In babies, on the other hand, the medicine can generally cause anaphylactic shock, so it is unacceptable to conduct such experiments.
- Drugs based on aspirin are contraindicated in children under 12 years of age. If you give this substance with chickenpox, then the child may develop a deadly disease of Ray, which is characterized by acute liver failure.
Paracetamol
This medicine was first marketed back in 1953 in the United States of America. Instead of the indispensable aspirin at the time, the pharmaceutical industry has proposed a new drug, which to this day remains in demand in pediatrics. What should be considered when using this medicine?
- Children's antipyretics, which are based on paracetamol, are prescribed for conditions such as fever, flu, SARS, measles, chickenpox, rubella, bronchitis, otitis media, pneumonia, and also during teething. In addition, the indication for use is a bacterial infection of various localization, including the urinary tract.
- Children's antipyretic drugs with paracetamol are the safest, and many of them can be given even to infants from a month old. However, up to three months, the baby must be treated under the strict supervision of a pediatrician, since many components of the drugs, especially with prolonged use, can cause allergy symptoms and overdose. These include the following manifestations: redness of the skin, itching, nausea, swelling, diarrhea and vomiting. As a rule, after discontinuation of the drug, these symptoms quickly disappear.
- Paracetamol should be given to the child very carefully in case of impaired functioning of the kidneys, liver, as well as diabetes and viral hepatitis.
- It should be noted that paracetamol is a certain indicator of the severity of the disease. For example, if he quickly knocks down a child’s high temperature, it means that the baby develops SARS. But with influenza, bacterial and fungal infections, this substance can act for a short time and very weakly.
- The dosage of the drug must be calculated very carefully. As a rule, 10-15 mg of the active substance is recommended per kilogram of the body weight of the child. The daily norm should not exceed 60 mg / kg. If the temperature is very high, you can raise the daily rate to 90 mg. However, at least 4 hours should elapse between doses of the drug.
Paracetamol-based Medicines
List of drugs:
- "Panadol."
- "Efferalgan."
- "Tsefekon D".
- "Paracetamol".
- "Kalpol."
Such drugs are available in the form of tablets, suspensions and rectal suppositories.
Ibuprofen
This is the second most popular antipyretic for children, which was first registered in the UK in 1962. Initially, it was taken as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for arthritis.
Consider the features of the use of this substance:
- Ibuprofen has an antipyretic and analgesic effect. It is prescribed in the case when paracetamol can not cope with its task (either slightly reduces the temperature, or does not affect it at all), or if the child has an allergic reaction to drugs with paracetamol.
- Possible side effects include dizziness, overexcitation, nausea, vomiting, itching, hives, constipation, diarrhea, headache, decreased blood pressure and tachycardia. In addition, ibuprofen makes urination difficult.
- The dosage of the drug is 10 mg per kilogram of body weight. The norm per day is 30 mg. Dosage is not recommended to be exceeded even at very high temperatures.
- Ibuprofen is characterized by a longer action, so it is better to give it at night. In the afternoon, you can use paracetamol. In no case should you give these two drugs at the same time, they can be alternated with an interval of 6 hours at least. However, for example, Ibuklin Junior is a medicine that combines both paracetamol and ibuprofen. It is usually prescribed when the cause of the fever could not be determined. In such cases, ibuprofen fights well with germs, and paracetamol with viruses.
Drugs with ibuprofen
Medicinal row with this substance:
- Ibufen.
- "Nurofen."
- Ibuprofen.
Such drugs are available in the form of tablets, suspensions and suppositories. Children's antipyretic drugs without paracetamol are prescribed for children from three years old with allergies, kidney and liver failure, asthma, hearing loss, gastritis, gastric ulcer and blood diseases.
Nimulide
Children's antipyretic agent "Nimulide" in the form of a suspension is also popular. The main active ingredient of this drug is nimesulide. There is also gum, sucrose, ricin oil, glycerin. To improve the taste, the manufacturer adds vanilla, mango, etc. It is worth noting that this medicine is more effective than ibuprofen and paracetamol, since it lasts up to 12 hours. It is prescribed for osteoporosis, arthritis, rheumatism, ENT diseases, after dental treatment and for ligament injuries.
However, such a drug should not be given to children under 6 years of age, as well as with a stomach ulcer, impaired kidney and heart function, a tendency to bleeding, and individual intolerance. In addition, the medicine has such side effects: heartburn, nausea, drowsiness, arrhythmia, cramping in the bronchi, anemia, circulatory disorders, changes in blood pressure.
Viburkol
This is a complex homeopathic remedy in the form of rectal suppositories. It is suitable for children of all ages. Contraindications include only individual intolerance and allergies. The composition of the drug includes such components: chamomile, bitter nightshade, large plantain, beladonna (belladonna), calcium carbonate, lumbago meadow. The medication is very in demand, because it contains only natural substances.
Indications include:
- painful teething with fever;
- ARVI (as an addition to the main treatment);
- symptoms of dyspepsia;
- addition to the treatment of mumps, chickenpox, measles;
- nervous agitation;
- inflammation of the ENT organs;
- cramps.
There were no contraindications to the drug.
When you can bring down a child’s temperature
First of all, it is worth noting that high temperature is a protective reaction when the body tries to cope with the causative agent of the disease on its own. At temperatures up to 38 ° C, there is a rapid production of substances that enter the fight against harmful microorganisms. Why, for example, do folk remedies such as wraps, hot drinks and foot baths help to recover faster? Yes, because they contribute to the heating of the body. Therefore, pediatricians at temperatures up to 38 ° C do not recommend giving children's antipyretic drugs. It will be better for children if the body can cope with this condition on its own.
Temperatures above 38 ° C begin to bother the child. He has an indisposition, his head begins to hurt, it becomes hot. Children's antipyretic drugs up to a year are best given in the most extreme cases. First, you can try to bring down the temperature of folk remedies. Throw off the blanket from the baby, remove all the warm clothes, leaving only a light pajamas (in some cases, you can remove it). At the same time, there should not be drafts in the room, otherwise the child may catch a cold.
The hot legs and arms of a small patient can be wiped with a little warm water, upon evaporation of which the body will cool, as a result of which the temperature will drop. Sometimes at high temperature, the limbs can be cold, which indicates a narrowing of the blood vessels, when the skin is not able to give off heat normally. In this case, you can dilute the alcohol with water in a ratio of 1: 1 and wipe the legs, arms, chest with this composition until the skin turns red. If all these measures do not help, then you can resort to antipyretic drugs. However, this is only the first aid to a small patient, the main treatment should be prescribed only by a qualified specialist.
What form of drug should you choose
What is better to give your child: suspension, tablets, or rectal suppositories? The choice of drug depends on many factors:
- Suspension is considered the best remedy for a child under twelve years of age. The fluid is absorbed into the blood faster, starting to act after 20 minutes. However, the disadvantage of this medicine is an allergy to dyes and fruit additives. Suspension is the best baby antipyretic for babies.
- Pills are prescribed for older children who can swallow such a pill. The medicine should be washed down with water, although the tablets can be crushed and diluted with liquid.
- Rectal suppositories are prescribed mainly for young children who do not want to swallow the suspension and constantly vomit it. Candles are put at night, even a sleeping baby can be, and they last longer.
Temperature injection
Lytic injection consists of an antispasmodic, analgesic and antihistamine. An injection of temperature is indicated to the child in such cases:
- the patient cannot take the drug orally (unconsciousness, vomiting);
- a rapid increase in temperature, which neither ibuprofen nor paracetamol can bring down;
- febrile seizures.
Contraindications:
- can not be used often, only in emergency cases;
- acute pain (suspected inflammation of the appendix);
- age up to a year (since papaverine and analgin are present in the composition).
A lytic injection, as a rule, is put by ambulance doctors.
Conclusion
Children's antipyretic drugs, the list of which was presented above, should be used carefully. It is worth considering the presence of concomitant pathologies, especially chronic, age and features of the child's body.