Acetaminophen Oral: Dosing and Precautions
Acetaminophen guidance for mild pain and fever with age-based dosing and overdose precautions.
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Source reviewed
October 2024
Guide category
Oral drugs
Safety boundary
Educational medicine information, not personal medical advice.
Kenza Health Hub presents this medicine page as structured health education. Check dose, route, interactions, pregnancy or breast-feeding considerations, and local protocol with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Read our medical editorial policy.
Therapeutic action
- Analgesic, antipyretic.
Indications
- Mild pain.
- Fever.
Forms and strengths
- 100 mg and 500 mg tablets.
- 100 mg dispersible tablet.
- 120 mg/5 ml oral suspension.
Dose
- Child under 1 month: 10 mg/kg 3 or 4 times daily, maximum 40 mg/kg daily.
- Child 1 month and over: 15 mg/kg 3 or 4 times daily, maximum 60 mg/kg daily.
- Adult: 1 g 3 or 4 times daily, maximum 4 g daily.
| Age | Weight | 120 mg/5 ml suspension | 100 mg tablet | 500 mg tablet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 1 month | < 4 kg | 1.5 ml x 3 | - | - |
| 1 to < 3 months | 4 to < 6 kg | 2.5 ml x 3 | 1/2 tab x 3 | - |
| 3 months to < 1 year | 6 to < 10 kg | 4 ml x 3 | 1 tab x 3 | - |
| 1 to < 3 years | 10 to < 15 kg | 6 ml x 3 | 1 1/2 tab x 3 | - |
| 3 to < 5 years | 15 to < 20 kg | 8 ml x 3 | 2 tab x 3 | - |
| 5 to < 9 years | 20 to < 30 kg | 12 ml x 3 | 3 tab x 3 | - |
| 9 to < 14 years | 30 to < 50 kg | - | - | 1 tab x 3 |
| >= 14 years and adult | >= 50 kg | - | - | 2 tab x 3 |
Duration
According to clinical response.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
Do not exceed indicated doses, especially in children and older patients. Acetaminophen intoxications are severe and may cause hepatic cytolysis.
- Administer with caution to patients with hepatic impairment.
- Reduce the dose in children with severe acute malnutrition to 10 mg/kg up to 3 times maximum per 24 hours.
- Reduce the dose in patients with dengue with warning signs: child 10 mg/kg 3 to 4 times daily; adult 500 mg 3 to 4 times daily.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
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