Paracetamol Dosing Guidelines for Adolescents

Dosing Recommendations

• The American Society of Anesthesiologists recommends a loading dose of 15-20 mg/kg for IV paracetamol, which calculates to 600-800mg for a 40kg adolescent 1
• The European Society for Paediatric Anaesthesiology recommends IV paracetamol as part of multimodal postoperative analgesia in pediatric patients, with a loading dose of 15-20 mg/kg (up to 1000mg maximum per dose) 1
• For adolescents weighing more than 40kg, adult dosing protocols become standard, with a loading dose of 15-20 mg/kg (up to 1000mg maximum per dose) 2, 3, 6, 7

Maintenance Dosing

• Maintenance dosing should be 10-15 mg/kg every 6-8 hours, which translates to 400-600mg every 6-8 hours for a 40kg patient 1

Administration and Safety

• The IV preparation should be administered at a concentration of 10 mg/mL 1
• Dosing intervals of 6-8 hours are recommended for sustained analgesic effect 1