Since this is a rather delicate category of patients, however, it is not possible to use the same drugs used in adults.
In fact, in the treatment of fever in children, the only antipyretic drugs recommended are paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Below we will therefore list the main characteristics of these active ingredients which, according to the most recent recommendations, should be administered only when the fever causes discomfort and malaise in the child And not be used indiscriminately.
Of course, medications for fever in children should be used only after consulting the pediatrician and only after this health professional has expressly prescribed them. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of ALWAYS contact your pediatrician who is taking care of the child and to avoid "do-it-yourself" care.
present in many medicines suitable for different routes of administration (oral, rectal, parenteral). In children, it is usually preferred to use:
- Pharmaceutical formulations suitable for oral administration such as drops (infants and very young children), syrups, sachets and buccal tablets (the latter two pharmaceutical forms are generally used in older children).
- Pharmaceutical formulations suitable for rectal administration such as suppositories. These are used when oral administration is not possible or not recommended.
Commercially available medicines containing paracetamol contain different concentrations of the active ingredient, which vary according to the route of administration and the category of patients for which the product is intended (for example, infants, school-age children, etc.).
Naturally, the doctor treating the child will decide which paracetamol-based medicine to prescribe and in what dosage it should be administered. In this last regard, moreover, it is recommended to carefully read the package leaflet of the medicine to be used.
In addition to the antipyretic action, paracetamol is also able to exert a certain pain-relieving action that can be used in the treatment of pain in children, also in this case, with the advice of the pediatrician.
- also known as NSAIDs - with anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving and even antipyretic activity.
For the treatment of fever in children, pharmaceutical forms suitable for oral administration are usually used, in particular, syrups. Again, medicines are available containing different concentrations of the active ingredient suitable for children in different age groups.
Of course, also with regard to ibuprofen, it will be the pediatrician who will decide whether to prescribe it, which medicine to use and the dosage of the same.
better than the administration of one or the other active principle individually. Therefore, since the alternating use of the two principles with antipyretic action is not sufficiently effective to justify the risks associated with the potential increase in their toxicity, this practice must be AVOIDED absolutely. Clearly, the combination (hence, the use together) of paracetamol and ibuprofen to treat fever in children should also be AVOIDED.It should be noted, however, that in some particular cases the pediatrician may deem it necessary to use the combined use of the aforementioned active ingredients, not for the treatment of fever, but for the treatment of mild to moderate pain not adequately controlled with the use of individual drugs. In any case, such use - which must take place under the supervision of the doctor - should provide some flexibility in the administration of the second drug (generally, it is "ibuprofen), since administration at fixed doses could lead to an increase in toxicity. .
