Children's fever-reducing medicine is very popular. Are you using it correctly? ---Merrill Lynch

This is the 4184th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

These days, the most popular antipyretic drugs for children are Motrin and Tylenol. These medicines are hard to buy, so make sure to use them correctly!

The dosage of antipyretic drugs is very particular. If you take too little, you may worry about the poor antipyretic effect, and if you take too much, you may worry about adverse effects on the body. On the packaging of Motrin and Tylenol, the dosage given by age range and corresponding weight range is relatively simple. In fact, the weight of children of the same age varies greatly, especially now that there are more and more obese and overweight children. The recommended dosage on the Motrin medicine box often does not meet the actual dosage required by the child, which will result in poor antipyretic effect after administration.

The correct dosage of Motrin can be found in Table 1. The required amount of Motrin can be calculated based on the child's weight. You can also find the corresponding dosage range based on the child's weight in Table 2 and Table 3. Adjust the dosage appropriately based on the child's fever and previous medication.

Table 1 Two commonly used Merrill Lynch

Table 2 Comparison table of dosage and body weight of ibuprofen suspension drops

Table 3 Comparison table of dosage of ibuprofen suspension and body weight

Precautions

1. Storage of Merrill Lynch: Unopened Merrill Lynch should be kept dry and cool at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. After opening, Merrill Lynch can be sealed tightly and kept dry at room temperature, away from light. Some people like to store opened Merrill Lynch in the refrigerator. When the medicine is sufficient, it is recommended to use Merrill Lynch for no more than one month after opening. At present, the medicine is in short supply. Pay attention to hygiene when taking it to avoid contaminating the liquid medicine. The shelf life of Merrill Lynch can be appropriately extended to 3 months. However, before taking the opened medicine, you need to carefully observe the shape of the medicine, such as color, smell, etc. If these shapes change, such as the appearance of a large number of bubbles, flocculent suspension, sediment or discoloration, crystallization or sour smell, do not use it.

2. When taking Motrin, be sure to use a dropper or a small measuring cup. Especially when using a dropper to take medicine, avoid directly inserting the dropper taken out of the baby's mouth into the medicine bottle again to take medicine. This practice will bring bacteria in the mouth into the bottle, contaminating the entire bottle of medicine, making the medicine easily rancid and not conducive to re-storage. It is recommended to use a clean dropper to take out the medicine you need this time and put it in a small cup, and feed the medicine in batches. If you accidentally pour out too much medicine, do not pour it back into the original bottle.

3. After the medicine is unpacked, the opening time can be noted on the packaging. This way, when you sort the medicines next time, you can evaluate whether the medicines are still within the expiration date and whether they can continue to be used.

4. Children with a fever of 38.5℃ should take Motrin only. Physical cooling is recommended for low-grade fever. The suspension needs to be shaken well before use. If the fever or pain is not relieved after taking the medicine for more than 3 days, please consult a doctor.

5. If a child under 3 months old has a fever, please seek medical attention immediately.

6. Unless instructed by a doctor, do not use ibuprofen or other antipyretic and analgesic drugs during the use of this medicine to avoid increasing adverse reactions.

Author: Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital

Zhang Dongmei, Chief Pharmacist