TY - JOUR T1 - Prehospital use of paracetamol among children attending the accident and emergency department JF - Emergency Medicine Journal JO - Emerg Med J SP - 88 LP - 89 DO - 10.1136/emj.20.1.88 VL - 20 IS - 1 AU - S Mason AU - S Thorp AU - D Burke Y1 - 2003/01/01 UR - http://emj.bmj.com/content/20/1/88.abstract N2 - Objectives: To identify patterns of prehospital administration of paracetamol to children who were perceived to be feverish by their carers. Methods: A prospective cohort study of carers of children attending a paediatric accident and emergency (A&E) department. Carers of children completed a questionnaire to identify domestic patterns of paracetamol use. Data were collected on temperature of the child in the A&E department, administration of antipyretics in the A&E department, diagnosis, and disposal from the A&E department. Results: Seventy five adults attending the A&E department consented to involvement. Sixty five of the children were feverish on arrival in the A&E department. Twenty one children (32.3%) had not received paracetamol before attending. There was a significant relation between knowledge of the antipyretic properties of paracetamol and administration (χ2=5.0, p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between fever and administration of paracetamol in the A&E department (χ2=23.7, p<0.01), however, 15 feverish patients (24.6%) were not treated. Conclusions: Most carers administer paracetamol appropriately in the prehospital setting. Administration correlates significantly with knowledge of its benefits. There is scope for education of carers and A&E department staff in the in the appropriate use of antipyretics such as paracetamol. ER -