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Although very practical, packaging in the form of gel or granules to carry everywhere in your bag can increase the risk of overdose of paracetamol, with serious damage to the liver. Use with caution.
How practical are these liquid or powder paracetamol pods that you can take with you everywhere to treat your child, in case of fever or pain! Practical but also dangerous in case of misuse, according to the review Prescribe. In question ? These sticks use a format and packaging that promote overdose with risks of liver damage, potentially fatal in children. The mention has appeared legibly since 2020 on traditional boxes.
Too attractive and too accessible packaging
The first problem mentioned by the review is the too easy accessibility of the product: too often at hand, the sachets can be opened easily, even by children, without any security system which could delay taking the medicine.
In addition, the formula chosen to be better accepted by children often offers sweet and pleasant flavors (orange, caramel, strawberry, etc.) which trivialize the product and expose children to an overdose.
An imprecise dosage problem
Another danger induced by the use of these sticks: the dosage can be confusing. Indeed, the same stick can, for example, relate to children from 16 to 48 kg, i.e. a wide range going from 4 to 15 years approximately. However, according to the recommendations:
- Up to 24 kg, the dosage should not exceed 4 sachets per day (i.e. one every 6 hours);
- It can go up to 6 per day (one every 4 hours) for children up to 30 kg;
- It can reach up to 8 sachets per day (2 per dose every 6 hours) for children up to 48 kg.
Rules that can be difficult for the parent to remember, who can get lost and give their child the wrong dose.
To remedy this, the High Authority of Health advises to keep the instructions for use of these drugs (because the dosage according to weight is not necessarily specified on the sticks).
It also recommends being attentive to the presence of paracetamol in other medication intakes, so as not to exceed the maximum recommended daily dose: 60 mg/kg/day, to be divided into 4 doses, i.e. approximately 15 mg/kg every 6 hours or 10 mg/kg every 4 hours.