September 17, 2002
Rectal acetaminophen an effective alternative treatment for fever in young children
TORONTO - Researchers in the Emergency Department at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), have found that many parents do not know that rectal acetaminophen is available to treat children with fever. This research is reported in the September issue of the journal, Canadian Family Physician.
The study, conducted by Drs. Ran Goldman and Dennis Scolnik, from the Emergency Department at SickKids, surveyed 231 parents who came to the hospital with children with fever. Parents were asked if they were aware of the existence of rectal acetaminophen (trade names include Tylenol and Tempra) as an alternative treatment for fever. The report found that only one-third of the parents interviewed knew about this form of treatment.
The group of parents randomly interviewed had children aged from one-month to 16 years. No significant correlations were found between parental knowledge of rectal acetaminophen and children's age, parental age, parental education, the number of children in the family, whether the child was first born, or if the illness involved vomiting or diarrhea. However, the study noted that parents who did not speak English at home knew less about rectal acetaminophen.
"It is important to use rectal acetaminophen, especially if a feverish child is vomiting, and can not take medicine through the mouth," said Dr. Goldman, principal investigator of the study. "In the SickKids Emergency Department, we see many patients where the primary complaint is fever. If parents are aware of the rectal suppositories it may give them another alternative and in turn, may save them a trip to the hospital."
"This is the first Canadian study of parental knowledge of the existence of a rectal form of acetaminophen. The results indicate that further education is needed to raise parental awareness of this form of treatment," added Dr. Goldman.
Quick Facts:
Rectal acetaminophen may be tried for children with fever who are having trouble tolerating medicine and are vomiting frequently, or if a child does not like taking medicine.
Acetaminophen is commonly chosen by parents to treat a feverish child and is found in chewable, tablet, syrup and drop forms at any pharmacy. Rectal acetaminophen can be found in the same area of any drug store and usually costs around the same amount.
Rectal acetaminophen takes the form of a suppository. It is administered by putting the child on his back, bending both knees and gently inserting the suppository into the rectal orifice.
Treating a child's fever with rectal acetaminophen is appropriate and effective to use in infants up to one year of age and many parents may use it until a child is three years of age. A parent's comfort level should dictate usage.
Whether a child is given acetaminophen orally or rectally the dosages are the same. Typically, acetaminophen is given up to every four hours and dosage is determined either by weight or age of the child.
If a child has already been given an oral dose of acetaminophen, parents should wait the required amount of time recommended by the oral acetaminophen package before giving the child a treatment of rectal acetaminophen in order to avoid overdose.
The Hospital for Sick Children, affiliated with the University of Toronto, is Canada's most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children's health in this country. The synergy between SickKids's Research Institute and its patient care leads to breakthroughs in treatment and ultimately, prevention of childhood disease and injuries. For more information, please visit www.sickkids.ca.
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