Paracetamol Dosage Calculator

Weight-Based Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) Dosing

Paracetamol (also internationally known as acetaminophen) is one of the most widely used antipyretic and analgesic medications for relieving fever, pain, and inflammatory discomfort. In pediatric medicine, precise weight-based calculation is critical because pediatric dosing by age alone can lead to underdosing or potentially life-threatening hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity).

Standard Clinical Dosing Guidelines

According to international guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), British National Formulary (BNF), and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):

• Pediatric Single Dose: 10 to 15 mg per kg of body weight (typically 15 mg/kg for optimal antipyresis).
• Dosing Frequency: Every 4 to 6 hours as needed (maximum 4 to 5 doses in 24 hours).
• Maximum Single Dose: 1,000 mg (1 gram), even if weight-based calculation suggests higher.
• Maximum Pediatric 24-Hour Dose: 60 mg/kg per 24 hours, up to an absolute ceiling of 4,000 mg/day (or 3,000 mg/day in conservative over-the-counter guidelines).
• Minimum Dosing Interval: At least 4 hours between consecutive doses.

Dosing Formula

The required active substance quantity is determined by:

$$\text{Single Dose (mg)} = \text{Weight (kg)} \times \text{Dose Rate (10 to 15 mg/kg)}$$

For liquid suspensions and syrups, the administration volume in milliliters ($\text{mL}$) is calculated from product concentration:

$$\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{\text{Single Dose (mg)}}{\text{Concentration (mg/mL)}}$$

Common Global Formulations and Strengths

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