Paracetamol Overdose in Children Presenting to a Pediatric Hospital: A Five-Year Retrospective Study on Incidence and Formulation Confusion
Abstract
Abstract Background Paracetamol overdose is a preventable cause of medication-related harm in young children. In settings where multiple paediatric liquid formulations are available, caregiver confusion between concentrated drops and syrup may lead to substantial dosing errors. Evidence from Nepal remains limited. This study examined the hospital-based incidence, mechanisms, and outcomes of paracetamol overdose in young children, with particular attention to formulation-related confusion. Methods A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted at Siddhi Memorial Women and Children’s Hospital, Bhaktapur, Nepal, from 1 June 2020 to 30 May 2025. Children aged 0–5 years with diagnosed or suspected paracetamol overdose were identified through hospital record review. Data on demographics, formulation, dose, medicine source, symptoms, management, and outcomes were extracted. Structured caregiver interviews were conducted to clarify overdose circumstances, formulation confusion, dosing misunderstanding, and prevention suggestions. Descriptive statistics and content-based thematic classification were used. Results Twenty-three children aged 0–5 years were included. The overall hospital-based presentation rate was 4.77 per 10,000 under-five emergency visits. Annual case counts varied across the study period, with the highest number recorded in 2022–2023. The median age was approximately 11 months, and most cases occurred in infants. Concentrated paracetamol drops were the most…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Effect of dexamethasone as an analgesic adjuvant to multimodal pain treatment after total knee arthroplasty: randomised clinical trial
- Effect of a Postoperative Multimodal Opioid-Sparing Protocol vs Standard Opioid Prescribing on Postoperative Opioid Consumption After Knee or Shoulder Arthroscopy: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Comparison of the Post-Caesarean Analgesic Effect of Adding Dexmedetomidine to Paracetamol and Ketorolac: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- A triple-blind randomized clinical trial of different associations between dexamethasone and non-steroids anti-inflammatories for preemptive action in third molar extractions
- An open label randomized clinical trial of Indomethacin for mild and moderate hospitalised Covid-19 patients
- Oral paracetamol and/or ibuprofen for treating pain after soft tissue injuries: Single centre double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.