Rectal Acetaminophen Research Articles

Rectal versus intravenous administration of acetaminophen; Clinical investigation of plasma level, analgesic, and antipyretic effects on 6-month to 6-year-old children in Zabol city, Iran

Acetaminophen is the most widely antipyretic analgesic medicine used in adults and children worldwide. Rectal acetaminophen is widely used in children who resist or cannot take oral medications. This study was designed to compare the efficacy of rectal and IV acetaminophen in children with fever and mild to moderate pain. Total 60 children aged six months to 6years, with fever and pain, that were treated with rectal or intravenous acetaminophen were selected and assigned in two groups. The IV group received 10mg/kg paracetamol as an IV infusion, and the rectal group received a 15mg/kg dose immediately after admission. Pain score was calculated using the FLACC method, and the axillary temperature was recorded at baseline and then 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 6hours after drug administration. Blood samples were collected at baseline and then at 30min-intervals for the first 90minutes. The trend of changes in mean pain score at different time intervals was significantly different between the two groups. Body temperature decrease was more prominent in the IV group. The plasma concentration increased in both groups significantly with time. This increase was sharper in the IV group, just in the first 60minutes after drug administration. IV acetaminophen has more rapid onset of action, while rectal dosage form control fever and pain for longer duration. Considering its favorable effects with ease of administration and lower cost, rectal acetaminophen can be a reasonable option in selected patients with pain or fever.

Opioid-Sparing Effects of IV Acetaminophen for Patients Undergoing Surgery

What Is the Issue?
 
 Opioids are often used to help manage postoperative pain. However, their consumption can cause side effects, in addition to the risk of developing dependence with long-term use.
 Acetaminophen is an alternative analgesic that may provide opioid-sparing benefits for patients undergoing surgery (e.g., the need for patients to use opioids later), but there is a lack of synthesized evidence to confirm. Acetaminophen is available in different formulations, such as IV, oral, and rectal. However, there is uncertainty around the benefits of using 1 formulation over another perioperatively.
 
 What Did We Do?
 
 To inform decisions about IV acetaminophen, we sought to identify and summarize literature comparing the effectiveness of IV acetaminophen to alternative analgesics (i.e., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]), alternative formulations (i.e., oral or rectal acetaminophen), or placebo for reducing opioid consumption in patients undergoing surgery.
 A research information specialist conducted a literature search of peer-reviewed and grey literature sources published between January 1, 2019, and January 9, 2024. The search was limited to English-language documents. One reviewer screened articles for inclusion based on predefined criteria. To investigate the true effect of IV acetaminophen, we excluded studies with any intraoperative opioid use.
 
 What Did We Find?
 
 For adult patients undergoing elective hip surgery, there may be no significant differences in cumulative opioid use between postoperative IV and oral acetaminophen (1 randomized controlled trial).
 For patients undergoing elective cesarian delivery, postoperative IV acetaminophen may result in a decrease in total morphine consumption after surgery compared to placebo (1 randomized controlled trial).
 For adult patients undergoing lumbar disc surgery, there may be no significant differences in total morphine consumption for patients receiving intraoperative IV acetaminophen compared to placebo (1 systematic review with 1 relevant RCT).
 We did not find any studies comparing the opioid-sparing effects of IV acetaminophen to NSAIDs that met our criteria for this review.
 
 What Does It Mean?
 
 Limited evidence from this review suggests that the opioid-sparing effect of IV acetaminophen may vary across types of surgery when compared to placebo. Additionally, IV acetaminophen may not offer additional opioid-sparing benefits compared to oral administration. However, we require more comprehensive research with rigorous methodological approaches to understand this topic better.
 Relative to opioids, IV acetaminophen has a preferable side effect profile, including a low risk of dependence; therefore, decision-makers may wish to consider using this formulation in the surgical or postsurgical setting.

Corrigendum: Rectal Acetaminophen Improves Shunt Volume and Reduces Patent Ductus Arteriosus Ligation in Extremely Preterm Infants.

Corrigendum: Rectal Acetaminophen Improves Shunt Volume and Reduces Patent Ductus Arteriosus Ligation in Extremely Preterm Infants.

Comparison of Therapeutic Effect and Safety of Oral and Rectal Use of Acetaminophen on Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Infants: Clinical Randomized Trial.

The prevalence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants is high. There is little information about the therapeutic effect and safety of rectal acetaminophen in the treatment of PDA. We aimed to compare the therapeutic effect and safety of oral and rectal acetaminophen on PDA in preterm infants. This study was a single-blind randomized clinical trial using 40 preterm infants. The cases were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of Mohammad Kermanshahi and Imam Reza hospitals of Kermanshah. Subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups, the first group was treated with oral acetaminophen and the second group was treated with rectal acetaminophen. The presence of PDA and response to treatment was assessed based on pre- and post-treatment echocardiographic criteria. The likelihood of complications or prohibition of acetaminophen use was assessed with paraclinical tests before and after treatment. The neonates were in the age range of 30 to 35 weeks. Twenty-one cases (52.5%) were boys and 19 cases (47.5%) were girls. Two cases in the oral-acetaminophen group and 1 case in the rectal-acetaminophen group needed the second round of treatment. There was no difference between the success of treatment and the type of treatment. The study showed that there was no difference between PDA treatment of preterm infants with oral and rectal acetaminophen. Also, no side effects were observed in treatment with any of the treatments. Therefore, it could be suggested that in infants who are intolerant to oral acetaminophen, the rectal form can be used.

Can the ShangRing bring us closer to endorsing early infant male circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa?

Can the ShangRing bring us closer to endorsing early infant male circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa?

Comparison of Pain Scores between Intravenous versus Rectal Acetaminophen in Children Undergoing Tonsillectomy

Background: Post-operative tonsillectomy pain is widely observed especially among children which leads to longer hospitalization, slower recovery, eating disorder and continuation of IV fluids ingestion. Objective: To compare mean pain scores between intravenous versus rectal acetaminophen in children undergoing tonsillectomy. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care & Pain Management, Civil Hospital Karachi, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi from 15th July 2015 to 14th January 2016. Methodology: Seventy eight patients with American Society of Anesthesiologist Physical Status (ASA) I and II having age 4-10 years of either gender presented with chronic tonsillitis and duration of disease of more than or equal to one year and underwent elective surgeries (tonsillectomy) were enrolled. Patients were randomly allocated by computer generated random number in two groups; group A received intravenous acetaminophen and group B received rectal acetaminophen. In group A, intravenous acetaminophen 10mg/kg was given and in group B, rectal acetaminophen 15mg/kg was given. Postoperative pain was assessed after 4 hour in ward based on CHIPPS criteria. Results: Mean age was 6.69 2.12 years in intravenous group whereas 5.94±1.97 years in rectal group (P=0.114). Mean duration of disease in intravenous group was 1.82±0.72 years whereas in rectal group, it was 2.07±0.62 (P=0.097). Mean pain score in intravenous group was 2.65±0.05 and 1.97±0.01in rectal group (P=0.001). Conclusion: Significant difference was observed in mean pain scores between intravenous versus rectal acetaminophen in children undergoing tonsillectomy Keywords: Tonsillectomy, Intravenous versus rectal acetaminophen, Pain scores

Increasing Alprostadil Requirements in a Neonate With Cardiac Anomalies and Co-administration of Rectal and Oral Acetaminophen.

A patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) results from the failure of the ductus arteriosus to close within 72 hours after birth. In most neonates, a PDA can lead to significant morbidities and often warrants pharmacologic intervention for closure. Common pharmacologic interventions include indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. In cases of ductal-dependent congenital heart defects (CHDs), such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, it is imperative to keep the ductus arteriosus patent to maintain adequate pulmonary or systemic circulation until surgical intervention can be performed. The only proven pharmacologic agent used for this indication is prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) commonly in the form of intravenous alprostadil. This case report describes a neonate with multiple cardiac and genetic anomalies that required increased alprostadil infusion after exposure to rectal and oral acetaminophen. The patient initially presented with a large PDA on echocardiogram (ECHO); however, after an incidental finding of a small PDA on ECHO, the administration of as needed rectal acetaminophen was discontinued out of concern for its effects on patency. After a few days of increased prostaglandin therapy and 2 reassuring ECHO results, the patient was given oral acetaminophen on an as needed basis. Within 24 hours of restarting the acetaminophen, the repeated ECHO showed a reduction in PDA and flow. In patients with ductal-dependent cardiac lesions, it is important to maintain PDA patency and, therefore, introducing a medication with antiprostaglandin properties should be avoided.

Antipyretic Effectiveness of Oral Acetaminophen Versus Rectal Acetaminophen in Pediatric Patients With Fever.

Acetaminophen, one of the routine medicines used for temperature reduction in febrile children, is available in multiple routes of administration, including oral and rectal routes. Our objective is to compare the antipyretic effectiveness of oral acetaminophen versus rectal acetaminophen in pediatric patients with fever in terms of temperature reduction. Medline and Embase databases were searched from inception to August 2021. Cohort studies, case-control studies, experimental studies, and randomized controlled trial studies comparing oral and rectal administered acetaminophen in pediatric patients were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data. A total of 5 randomized studies (n = 362) were included in the meta-analysis. No significant difference was found between oral and rectal acetaminophen in temperature reduction at 1 hour (weighted mean difference [WMD], 0.04°C; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.10°C to 0.19°C; P = .501) or 3 hours (WMD, -0.14°C; 95% CI, -0.37°C to 0.10°C; P = .212) after administration (WMD, -0.14°C; 95% CI, -0.37°C to 0.10°C; P = .212). Oral and rectal acetaminophen have no significant difference in antipyretic effectiveness at 1 and 3 hours after administration. If both options are available, oral acetaminophen would be preferred because of a more predictable drug level after administration. However, for febrile children with specific circumstances for whom oral acetaminophen could not be administered, rectal acetaminophen may be an alternative option for a short period of time (<48 hours).

Rectal Acetaminophen Improves Shunt Volume and Reduces Patent Ductus Arteriosus Ligation in Extremely Preterm Infants.

An alternative therapy for preterm infants with a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) is needed when cyclooxygenase inhibitors fail or where treatment is contraindicated due to coexisting renal failure, necrotizing enterocolitis, and/or intestinal perforation. No studies have evaluated the efficacy of per rectum (PR) acetaminophen. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PR acetaminophen in modulating the risk of PDA ligation. A retrospective matched case-control study was conducted to compare neonates born <29 weeks' gestation with evidence of hsDA, in an era when rescue rectal acetaminophen was used (January 2014-March 2018) as a treatment strategy, versus historical controls (July 2006-August 2012). All patients underwent comprehensive echocardiography assessment of ductal shunt volume according to a standardized protocol. Acetaminophen treated neonates were matched according to demographics, gestation, preintervention echocardiography features, and comorbidities. Control patients were selected when an echocardiography was performed at an equivalent postnatal age. Infants with a genetic syndrome, severe congenital malformation, or major forms of congenital heart disease excluding small atrial septal defect or ventricular septal defect, PDA, or patent formale ovale were excluded. The primary outcome was surgical ligation of the PDA. Secondary outcomes included echocardiography indices of hemodynamic significance, the composite of death, or severe BPD (defined by ventilator dependence at 36 weeks postmenstrual age). Descriptive statistics and univariate (t-tests, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test) analyses were used to evaluate clinical and echocardiography characteristics of the groups and compare outcomes. Forty infants (20 cases and 20 controls), with similar demographic and echocardiography features, were compared. Cases received 6.8 ± 0.7 days (60 mg/kg/day) of PR acetaminophen. Responders (n = 12, 60%) had echocardiography evidence of reduced ductal diameter (2.2 mm [1.9-2.6] to 1.1 mm [0-1.7], p = 0.002), left ventricular output (363 ± 108-249 ± 61 mL/min/kg; p = 0.002) and left atrium to aortic root ratio (1.7 ± 0.3-1.3 ± 0.2; p = 0.002) following treatment. The rate of PDA ligation was 50% lower (p = 0.02) and composite outcome of death or severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia was reduced (p = 0.04) in the acetaminophen group. Rectal acetaminophen was associated with improvement in echocardiography indices of PDA shunt volume, a 50% reduction in PDA ligation rates and a reduction in the composite outcome of death or severe BPD. Pharmacologic and further prospective clinical studies are needed. · Many preterm infants encounter the clinical consequences of a hemodynamically significant PDA.. · The merits and optimal timing of PDA ligation remains an area of controversy amongst neonatologists.. · Cyclooxygenase inhibitors are associated with adverse events or are often contraindicated..

Effect of Intravenous Acetaminophen on Mean Arterial Blood Pressure: A Post Hoc Analysis of the EFfect of Intravenous ACetaminophen on PosToperative HypOxemia After Abdominal SurgeRy Trial.

Acetaminophen is commonly used as part of multimodal analgesia for acute pain. The intravenous formulation offers a more predictable bioavailability compared to oral and rectal acetaminophen. There have been reports of hypotension with intravenous acetaminophen attributable to centrally mediated and vasodilatory effects. We tested the hypothesis that in adults having abdominal surgery the use of intravenous acetaminophen versus placebo for postoperative pain management is associated with a decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) after its administration. This is a substudy of eFfect of intravenous ACetaminophen on posToperative hypOxemia after abdominal surgeRy (FACTOR) trial (NCT02156154). FACTOR trial randomly assigned adults undergoing abdominal surgery to either 1 g of acetaminophen or placebo every 6 hours during the first postoperative 48 hours. Continuous monitoring of blood pressure was obtained by noninvasive ViSi Mobile device (Sotera Wireless, Inc, San Diego, CA) at 15-second intervals during initial 48 hours postoperatively. We excluded patients without continuous monitoring data available. The primary outcome was the MAP difference between MAP 5 minutes before study drug administration (baseline) and MAP 30 minutes poststudy drug administration initiation. We used a linear mixed effects model to assess the treatment effect on MAP change. The secondary outcome was MAP area under baseline (AUB) during the 30 minutes after treatment. In a sensitivity analysis of change in MAP from predrug to postdrug administration, we instead used postdrug MAP as the outcome adjusting for the baseline MAP in the model. Among 358 patients analyzed, 182 received acetaminophen and 176 placebo. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) of average MAP change was -0.75 (5.9) mm Hg for the treatment and 0.32 (6.3) mm Hg for the placebo. Acetaminophen was found to decrease the MAP from baseline more than placebo after drug administration. The estimated difference in mean change of MAP was -1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.60 to -0.47) mm Hg; P < .001. The sensitivity analysis showed postoperative MAP in the acetaminophen group was 1.33 (95% CI, 0.76-1.90) mm Hg lower than in the placebo group (P < .001). The median of MAP AUB was 33 [Q1 = 3.3, Q3 = 109] mm Hg × minutes for the treatment and 23 [1.6, 79] mm Hg × minutes for the placebo. Acetaminophen was found to increase the AUB with an estimated median difference of 15 (95% CI, 5-25) mm Hg × minutes (P = .003). Intravenous acetaminophen decreases MAP after its administration. However, this decrease does not appear to be clinically meaningful. Clinicians should not refrain to use intravenous acetaminophen for acute pain management because of worries of hypotension.

Rectal diclofenac versus high-dose rectal acetaminophen in children: A randomized clinical trial.

Background:Fever is the most common complaint among the children admitted to health care centers. The aim of this study was to compare the anti-pyretic effect of diclofenac and high dose acetaminophen suppository in 1 to 6 years old children.Methods:This double-blind clinical trial study was performed on 1-6-year-old children hospitalized in 17th Shahrivar Teaching Hospital, Rasht, Iran. Children were divided into two groups of 45 using a block randomization design. The first group received a high dose of acetaminophen suppository at a dose of 30 mg/kg and the second group received a diclofenac suppository at a dose of 1 mg/kg. The rectal temperature of the patients was measured using a digital thermometer at the time of drug administration, and one and three hours after that.Results:90 children were studied in two groups of 45 each. Temperature changes in the diclofenac group were significantly greater than the acetaminophen group, so from zero to 3 hours after administering diclofenac, the temperature decreased to 1.76±0.95°C. This reduction was lower in acetaminophen group (1.26±0.49°C, P=0.019).Conclusion:Both acetaminophen and diclofenac suppositories significantly reduced the rectal temperature. However, the effect of rectal diclofenac on reducing temperature is more than rectal acetaminophen.

Comparing caudal block and penile block using rectal acetaminophen in postoperative analgesia of hypospadias repair: A randomized clinical trial study

Background and objectiveselecting the analgesia method in pediatrics is of most importance.In pediatrics required hypospadias repair, two methods of the caudal block and penile block are used increasingly. This study aimed to compare two methods of the caudal block and penile block using rectal acetaminophen in postoperative analgesia of hypospadias repair. MethodsThis clinical trial was conducted on 50 children who underwent hypospadias referred to the educational hospital of Shahid Motahari in Urmia in west-north of Iran from July 1st, 2019 to March 1st, 2020. Patients were selected using a convenient sampling method and were allocated in two groups of the caudal block and penile block using rectal acetaminophen by random allocation software. To assess analgesia, the FLACC scale was used. ResultsMean age of participants was 27 months, the mean weight of participants was 13 kg, and their mean height was 82 cm. Regarding assessment changes in pain severity, the results showed in two groups that in group 1 (caudal block) in time intervals of recovery, 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h after the surgery, pain severity was reached to 1.16 and in group 2 (penile block) was reached to 3.44. The results showed that in group 1 (caudal block) patients suffer significantly less pain than patients in group 2 (penile block) (P = 0.001). ConclusionsAccording to results obtained from this study, hypospadias repair in pediatrics using caudal block can provide longer analgesia for the patient.

Intra-operative ketorolac 15 mg versus 30 mg for analgesia following cesarean delivery: a retrospective study

BackgroundKetorolac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used as part of multimodal analgesia in women undergoing cesarean delivery. The lowest effective dose of ketorolac that best optimizes analgesia without increasing side effects is unclear. We performed this retrospective study to compare the analgesic efficacy of 15 mg or 30 mg ketorolac administered intra-operatively to our obstetric population. MethodsWe included patients who underwent cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia and received 15 mg or 30 mg of ketorolac intra-operatively. Our multimodal analgesic regimen is standardized and includes 150 µg spinal or 3 mg epidural morphine, 975 mg rectal acetaminophen, and 15–30 mg intravenous ketorolac within 15 min of surgery completion. The primary outcome was opioid use in the first 6 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes were opioid use at 24 and 48 h, opioid dose, pain scores, breastfeeding, postoperative serum creatinine and need for rescue anti-emetics. ResultsOne-thousand-three-hundred and forty-nine patients were analyzed (15 mg ketorolac n=999; 30 mg n=350). There was no difference between the two groups in patient demographics or intra-operative characteristics. There was no significant difference between groups for opioid use at 6 h after surgery (50.3% vs 52.0%, odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.13 [0.87 to 1.47]). There were also no significant differences between the groups for secondary outcomes. ConclusionsThere was no difference in opioid use between patients receiving either a 15 mg or a 30 mg dose of ketorolac given intra-operatively for postoperative analgesia following cesarean delivery.

Effect of IV Acetaminophen Usage on Opioid Requirements, Outcomes and Costs of Care for Postoperative Children in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Children admitted to the ICU are commonly treated with opioids for postoperative pain. We hypothesized that administration of IV acetaminophen in the immediate postoperative period is effective in lowering cumulative opioid use leading to other benefits. This was a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to the PICU between December 2016 and April 2019. For each patient, data including demographics, cumulative opioid usage per kilogram, oral or rectal acetaminophen, x-ray findings, hospital costs, and surgical procedure were collected. Cumulative opioid usage was determined by converting all opioids to morphine equivalents (MEs) per kg. Standard descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC). A total of 200 patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria (N = 92 in IV acetaminophen group and N = 108 in no IV acetaminophen group). There was no significant difference in ME per kilogram between the groups (0.3 ME/kg in IV acetaminophen group, IQR 0.5 ME/kg versus 0.4 ME/kg in no IV acetaminophen group, IQR 0.5 ME/kg, adjusted p = 0.38). Rate of atelectasis was not significant between the groups (47.8% in IV acetaminophen versus 45.4% in no acetaminophen group, p = 0.28). There was a significant difference in median total hospital costs between the groups ($22,456 in IV acetaminophen group, IQR $18,650 versus $18,552 in no IV acetaminophen group, IQR $13,361, adjusted p = 0.04). IV acetaminophen in the immediate postoperative period did not lead to a decrease in cumulative opioid usage or rate of atelectasis. IV acetaminophen usage was associated with increase in overall hospital costs per patient.

Effects of Gabapentin Suspension and Rectal Acetaminophen on Postoperative Pain of Adenotonsillectomy in Children.

Introduction:Adenotonsillectomy is the main treatment for symptomatic tonsillar hypertrophy with postoperative pain as the most common associated complication. The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of gabapentin with that reported for acetaminophen on the postoperative pain of adenotonsillectomy in children.Materials and Methods:In this double-blind clinical trial, a total of 60 children within the age range of 7-15 years undergoing adenotonsillectomy were randomly allocated to two groups of gabapentin (n=30) and acetaminophen (n=30). The first group received a 10 mg/kg dose of gabapentin suspension preoperatively and placebo (suppository) after the intubation. The second group received a 40 mg/kg dose of acetaminophen suppository and placebo suspension simultaneous with that in the case group. Using the pain scale (based on the score of visual analog scale, prescribed drugs, dosage as well as incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting were recorded 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h after the surgery. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22.0). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:There was no significant difference between the two groups considering the pain scores at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h after the surgery. In addition, the trend of pain intensity statistically decreased within 0 to 24 h in both acetaminophen (P<0.001) and gabapentin (P<0.001) groups. No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the postoperative incidence of nausea and vomiting. Conclusion:The obtained results of the present study showed that the administration of gabapentin and acetaminophen significantly reduced the postoperative pain of tonsillectomy and need for narcotics in these patients after the surgery. However, in this study, there was no particular reported superiority for any of the two groups in terms of the effects of gabapentin suspension and rectal acetaminophen.

Bioavailability of rectal acetaminophen in children following anorectal surgery

BackgroundAcetaminophen is widely used as an analgesic and antipyretic agent in pediatrics.Although bioavailability of rectal acetaminophen is unpredictable, rectal route is a usual and acceptable method of prescription. Major anorectal surgery may alter the normal structure of the surgical site, especially the vascular elements and the normal connections between port and systemic vessels. As a result the pharmacokinetics of rectal medications might also be altered.Based on this hypothesis, we decided to study acetaminophen plasma concentration among children who underwent these types of surgeries to determine the pharmacokinetic of absorption, plasma concentration, safety, and efficacy of rectal acetaminophen. Materials and methodsThe study included 20 cases with previous history of pull-through procedure owing to Hirschsprung's disease (HD), 20 cases with imperforate anus (IA) reconstructive surgeries who were admitted for colostomy closure, and 20 otherwise healthy cases of inguinal herniotomy. Venus blood sampling was done 4, 8 and 12 hrs after a single loading dose of rectal acetaminophen (40 mg/kg), and plasma acetaminophen concentration was compared between groups. ResultsMean serum acetaminophen levels of the HD group were significantly higher than those of the herniotomy group (36.3 ± 6.79, 27.4 ± 8.42, 16.8 ± 7.62 versus 25.9 ± 9.12, 16.7 ± 6.74, 8.1 ± 5.79 (μg/ml) at 4, 8 and 12 hrs after drug administration and P < 0.05). The IA group had higher concentrations of plasma acetaminophen compared to the herniotomy group; however, the p values were not statistically significant. (31.4 ± 10.39, 21.5 ± 9.12, 13.3 ± 6.79 versus 25.9 ± 9.12, 16.7 ± 6.74, 8.1 ± 5.79 (μg/ml) at 4, 8 and 12 hrs after drug administration). Serum concentrations of acetaminophen in IA and HD patients were above the therapeutic range four hours after administering the loading dose (31.4 ± 10.39 and 36.3 ± 6.79 versus 5–20 μg/ml). ConclusionBioavailability of rectal acetaminophen might get altered after major anorectal surgery in children. Rectal acetaminophen should be administered with special caution among infants with history of anorectal operations. Repeated dose of rectal acetaminophen may cause the drug blood concentration to reach toxic levels in these patients. Type of studyProspective comparative study. Level of evidenceLevel II.

A Drug Utilization Evaluation Study of Intravenous Acetaminophen in a Large Teaching Hospital

Background: Intravenous (IV) acetaminophen has become the most commonly chosen analgesic medication in critical care settings. Overall, the cost of the drug is higher than oral and rectal acetaminophen. As a result, numerous studies have been performed to evaluate the appropriateness of IV acetaminophen use based on guidelines. A lot of studies have shown that there is poor quality in compliance with guideline in developing countries. Current study aims to evaluate prescribing behavior of IV acetaminophen regimens in hospitalized adults in Tehran, Iran. Methods: We enrolled 277 patients (including 137 men and 140 women) with age ranged between 18-65 years. Demographic data and clinical and preclinical parameters such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels, name of ward, prescribing reason, doses, dose intervals, number of doses, type of vehicle used and durations of infusion were collected and recorded for analysis. Results: Our results have shown that guideline Adherence was seen only in 20 (7.22%) out of 277 patients. IV acetaminophen is prescribed mostly by emergency medicine specialists, and it is more inappropriately prescribed by these specialists in comparison to other specialists. It was also found that non-compliance of IV acetaminophen prescribing with guideline imposes additional 1038 USD for 3 months of the study. Conclusion: The evaluation of prescribing indicators showed low quality prescription by medical specialists. The pattern of prescribing depending on the medical specialties was also different. In addition, overuse and misuse of IV acetaminophen imposes substantial cost and the economic burden on healthcare system. J Pharm Care 2019; 7(4): 87-93.

Comparison of the Effect of Acetaminophen Suppository in Children 7 to 15 years before and after Tonsillectomy on Pain Relief

Introduction: tonsillectomy in children is associated with many complications such as severe postoperative pain. The analgesic effect of rectal acetaminophen has been demonstrated in various surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of acetaminophen suppository in children 7 to 15 years before and after tonsillectomy on pain relief. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 100 children aged 7 to 15 years who were candidates for tonsillectomy were included in the study. Patients were randomly divided into two equal groups. After induction of anesthesia and intubation and 5 minutes before the start of surgery, group A received 40 mg / kg rectal acetaminophen suppository, and group B received the same dose of rectal acetaminophen suppository after surgery and just before extubation and immediately after discontinuation of anesthetic drugs. Patients were then compared in terms of pain and use of analgesic, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after the surgery. Results: In group A, 56% of patients were female and 44% male, and in group B, 52% were male and 48% female (P = 0.688). The mean age of patients in group A was 9.17 ±2.90 years and in group B was 9.5 ±2.49 years (P = 0.543). The mean pain score in each of 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours was significantly lower in group A than in group B (P

Antipyretic Choice in the ICU: Not So Easy

Antipyretic Choice in the ICU: Not So Easy

The randomised prospective comparative study to see the duration of analgesia following intravenous or rectal acetaminophen after adenotonsillectomy in children

Background: The greatest advance in pediatric pain medicine is the recognition that untreated pain is a significant cause of morbidity and even mortality after surgical trauma. Author compared the analgesic efficacy and duration of analgesia of rectal acetaminophen and I.V. acetaminophen.Methods: A total of 80 children in the age group of 2-5 years were randomly selected and divided into 2 groups. Group I received 15 mg/kg I.V. paracetamol and group II received 40 mg/kg rectal acetaminophen. Post-operative pain scores were measured using Face, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability scale and duration of analgesia were recorded and compared.Results: The pain scores in group I was lower immediately after extubation and at 30 minutes post extubations but at one, two and four hours the pains score were comparable in both the groups. At 6 hours, the pain score was significantly more in I.V. group and also the duration of analgesia was 9-10 hours in rectal acetaminophen group where as in I.V. group, it was 5-6 hours.Conclusions: Rectal acetaminophen 40 mg/kg produces prolonged analgesia as compared to I.V. paracetamol 15 mg/kg and also is more convenient and cost effective and is devoid of side effects of I.V. cannulation.