Intravenous Paracetamol Dosing for an 11 kg Pediatric Patient
For an 11 kg child, administer 15 mg/kg of IV paracetamol per dose, which equals 165 mg, given every 6 hours, with a maximum daily dose not exceeding 60 mg/kg/day (660 mg/day for this child). 1
Weight-Based Dosing Calculation
- The standard dose of IV paracetamol is 15 mg/kg per dose for children, administered every 4-6 hours 1, 2
- For an 11 kg child: 15 mg/kg × 11 kg = 165 mg per dose 1
- Maximum daily dose: 60 mg/kg/day × 11 kg = 660 mg per day (typically 4 doses maximum in 24 hours) 1, 3
Practical Administration Details
- Commercial IV paracetamol comes as a 10 mg/mL solution 4
- For 165 mg dose: you need 16.5 mL of the standard 10 mg/mL solution 4
- The solution can be diluted in 0.9% normal saline or 5% dextrose if smaller volumes are needed 4
- Administer the dose every 6 hours (or every 4 hours if needed for severe pain, not exceeding 4 doses/24 hours) 1, 5
Dosing Interval Considerations
- The typical interval is every 6 hours for routine fever or pain management 5
- For more frequent dosing needs, every 4 hours is acceptable but requires careful tracking to avoid exceeding the maximum daily dose 1, 2
- Never exceed 5 doses in 24 hours or the 60 mg/kg/day maximum 1
Special Circumstances Requiring Dose Reduction to 10 mg/kg
Reduce the dose to 10 mg/kg (110 mg for this 11 kg child) if any of the following apply: 1
- Child has fasted for more than 8 hours without adequate caloric intake 1
- Chronic malnutrition is present 1
- Child is receiving cytochrome P450-inducing medications (e.g., isoniazid) 1
- Pre-existing liver disease is documented 1
Safety Monitoring
- Track all doses carefully to prevent inadvertent overdosing, which becomes hepatotoxic at exposures greater than 140 mg/kg/day for several days 3
- Single ingestions exceeding ten times the recommended dose (>1650 mg for this child) are potentially toxic 3
- IV administration provides more consistent absorption and faster onset compared to rectal routes 1, 2