1 May 2026Oral drugsSource update: October 2024
Paracetamol = Acetaminophen oral
Paracetamol guidance for mild pain and fever with age-based dosing and overdose precautions.
This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.
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.
Duration
According to clinical response.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
Do not exceed indicated doses, especially in children and older patients. Paracetamol 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 reproduces the structured reference information for this batch while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections.
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