What is the correct dose of Apiretal and how to calculate it correctly? Discover the detailed table and the formula to calculate the dose according to the child’s age and weight.
If there is a medicine that is very helpful for most parents, especially from 3 years of age, for its effectiveness and usefulness in relieving or calming mild pain and lowering high fever, that is the Apiretal.
If you are a mother or father, you probably already know that Apiretal is an analgesic and antipyretic, extremely useful when it comes to reducing high temperatures (in feverish states), as well as to relieve mild to moderate pain, thanks to its paracetamol content.
Correct dose of Apiretal according to age and weight of the child
Although the Apiretal can be given to children from 3 kg. Of weight (which would be practically from birth), pediatricians advise not to give Apiretal to children under 3 years of age. And always consult the doctor before giving it when the child is less than this age.
According to the original leaflet of this medicine, the recommended dose based on the child’s weight and age is the one indicated below:
| Child’s weight | Aproximated age) | Volumes and ml. | Amount of mg. paracetamol | Equivalent in drops |
| Up to 4 kg | from 0 to 3 months | 0,6 ml | 60 mg | 15 drops |
| Up to 8 kg | from 4 to 11 months | 1,2 ml | 120 mg | 30 drops |
| Up to 10.5 kg | 12 to 23 months | 1,6 ml | 160 mg | 40 drops |
| Up to 13 kg | from 2 to 3 years | 2,0 ml | 200 mg | 50 drops |
| Up to 18.5 kg | from 4 to 5 years | 2,8 ml | 280 mg | —- |
| Up to 24 kg | from 6 to 8 years | 3,6 ml | 360 mg | —- |
| Up to 32 kg | from 9 to 10 years | 4,8 ml | 480 mg | —- |
As we mentioned on a previous occasion, it is always advisable to follow the guidelines and doses set by the pediatrician, and it is not advisable to ever exceed the number of doses or the quantity.
In addition, the most common is to administer Apiretal every 6-8 hours (which means between 4 to 6 doses per day). In this sense, it must be taken into account that when the fever is very high, or the child is very upset, it is possible that the pediatrician will indicate another, shorter dosage as far as the administration of Apiretal is concerned, being possible to administer it every 4 hours (but always at a lower dose).
How to calculate the correct dose of Apiretal every 6-8 hours:
We must always respect the dose indicated by the pediatrician, never exceeding ourselves. However, if we do not have the correct dose table at hand, or we have lost the original package insert for the medicine, did you know that it is possible to calculate the correct dose based on the child’s weight? For this, it is necessary to start from a maximum: a child can take 15 mg. of paracetamol for every kilo of weight every 6-8 hours (that is, 15mg / kg).
To do this, we must take into account the following formula. The result that we will obtain will correspond to the dose to be administered every 6-8 hours:
Let’s take a simple example: your son weighs 14 kg. If so, we must perform the following calculation:
Therefore, the Apiretal dose for your child, who weighs 14 kg, is 2.1 ml every 6-8 hours.
How to calculate the Apiretal dose every 4 hours:
As we mentioned before, when your pediatrician recommends the administration of Apiretal every 4 hours (because the child is very upset and in pain or because the fever is very high), it is possible to perform a calculation regarding the correct dose for this period of time.
For these cases, we must bear in mind that every 4 hours the child can take 10 mg. of paracetamol for every kilo of weight. That is, the formula would be the following:
Let’s take a new example with our 14 kg son. The dose every 4 hours would be the following:
0.10 x 14 kg = 1.4 ml of Apiretal every 4 hours
Did you know that there are different types of Apiretal depending on the age of the child?
Depending on the age of the child, it is possible to purchase different types or presentations of Apiretal at the pharmacy:
- For children under 3 years of age: It is advisable to use Apiretal solution of 15 or 30 ml. in drops. Inside the container you can find a dropper to administer the correct solution.
- For children over 3 years of age: Apiretal solution of 60 to 90 ml is recommended. This time we will find a dosing syringe.
- Apiretal in tablets: It is also possible to find it in tablets, which dissolve in the mouth. There are three presentations, 250 mg, 325 mg and 500 mg of paracetamol. Always from 14 kg. Of weight.
