Caregivers\u27 knowledge about children\u27s paracetamol

Although safe, paracetamol, commonly used in children, can cause adverse events if not administered correctly. This research aimed to investigate caregivers\u27 knowledge about children\u27s paracetamol. A convenience sample of caregivers who had purchased Children\u27s Panadol were asked to complete an online survey, assessing their knowledge of paracetamol. Most of the 174 respondents were female (93.7%), highly-educated (72.4%) with adequate functional health literacy (85.6%). Almost all respondents correctly identified that Children\u27s Panadol contained paracetamol (96.6%). However, approximately a quarter of them did not know the maximum daily dose (26.4%), just under half (46%) did not know how many days this dose could be safely given, and over one-third (37.4%) did not know that liver toxicity could result from overdose. These findings suggest that adult caregivers administering paracetamol to children have gaps in their knowledge. Strategies to help improve caregiver\u27s knowledge about the correct and safe administration of children\u27s paracetamol need to be considered