Table 5 Participating parents’ responses to questions regarding knowledge of paracetamol use
Variable | Frequency (%); N = 287 |
|---|---|
Temperature at which paracetamol is given as antipyretic | |
38 ° C | 111 (38.7) |
38.5 ° C | 77 (26.8) |
39 ° C | 69 (24.0) |
39.5 ° C | 9 (3.1) |
40 ° C | 1 (0.3) |
I don’t know | 20 (7.0) |
Daily maximum frequency of paracetamol use | |
One dose | 9 (3.1) |
Two doses | 55 (19.2) |
Three doses | 121 (42.2) |
Four doses | 78 (27.2) |
Five doses | 13 (4.5) |
I don’t know | 11 (3.8) |
Time allowed between doses | |
Less than 4 h | 18 (6.3) |
4–6 h | 175 (61.0) |
More than 6 h | 78 (27.2) |
I don’t know | 16 (5.6) |
Time allowed for use after opening a syrup | |
Up to 3 months | 62 (21.6) |
Up to 6 months | 59 (20.6) |
Until the expiry date | 128 (44.6) |
I don’t know | 38 (13.2) |
Paracetamol overdose can cause serious adverse effects | |
Yes | 146 (50.9) |
No | 66 (23.0) |
I don’t know | 75 (26.1) |
Type of damage paracetamol overdose causesa | |
Renal failure | 46 (31.5) |
Liver damage | 42 (28.8) |
Gastric irritability | 23 (15.8) |
Immune suppression | 21 (14.4) |
Other | 14 (9.5) |
Knowledge Score (out of 6) | |
0 | 28 (9.8) |
1 | 94 (32.8) |
2 | 60 (20.9) |
3 | 52 (18.1) |
4 | 40 (13.9) |
5 | 9 (3.1) |
6 | 4 (1.4) |