A 30 mg/kg loading dose of acetaminophen was more effective than a 15 mg/kg maintenance dose in febrile children
QUESTION: In febrile children, is an initial 30 mg/kg loading dose of acetaminophen more effective in reducing fever than a 15 mg/kg maintenance dose?
Design
Randomised (unclear allocation concealment), blinded (unclear), controlled trial with 6 hours of follow up.
Setting
A hospital in Paris, France.
Patients
121 outpatients who were 4 months to 9 years of age (mean age 3 y), weighed 4–26 kg (mean weight 13 kg), and who had an initial rectal temperature of 39°C to 40.5°C, the cause of which was considered to be of viral or bacterial origin. Children were excluded if they had taken any temperature altering drug or antibiotics within the previous 24 hours; required antibiotic treatment within the first 4 hours of receiving acetaminophen; had hepatic, renal, or neurological diseases; had a history of hypersensitivity to acetaminophen; had …
