Paracetamol

I think everyone has take panadol before when they has fever, headache and other slight pain. But do you know what its component is? Major component of panadol is paracetamol or known as acetaminophen. Paracetamol is widely use as medicament for defervescence and acesodyne, commonly use when ones having headache, fever and etc. It is a major ingredient in numerous cold and flu remedies.

The words acetaminophen and paracetamol both come from chemical names for the compound: para-acetylaminophenol and para-acetylaminophenol. In some contexts, it is simply abbreviated as APAP, for N-acetyl-para-aminophenol.

How paracetamol made?

Paracetamol may be easily prepared in the laboratory by nitrating phenol with sodium nitrate, separating the desired p-nitrophenol from the ortho- byproduct, and reducing the nitro group with sodium borohydride. The resultant p-aminophenol is then acetylated with acetic anhydride. In this reaction, phenol is strongly activating, thus the reaction only requires mild conditions (c.f. the nitration of benzene):

Paracetamol comes in different forms:

· Liquids: There are various brands such as Benylin, Calpol, Disprol, and Tixymol. They are usually flavored to make them taste nicer.

· Tablets: They are several brands such as Tylenol, Mandanol and etc. Each tablet usually contains 500 mg and you can also get soluble tablets which may work more quickly.

What is the suitable dose of paracetamol?

Adults	-	500-1000 mg each dose (1-2 tablets)
Age 12-16 years	-	500-1000 mg each dose (1-2 tablets)
Age 6-12 years	-	250-500 mg each dose
Age 1-5 years	-	120-250 mg each dose
Age 3-12 months	-	60-120 mg each dose

What is the side effect?

Side-effects of paracetamol are rare when ones taken at the recommended dose. People who are taking the drug for a long time will maybe occasionally have skin rashes, blood disorders and a swollen pancreas.

Overdose of paracetamol is dangerous as the liver damage may not obvious for four to six days after the drug has been taken. It is essential that they are taken to hospital urgently even if they have taken overdose of paracetamol seems fine and doesn’t have any symptoms.

Who can have dose of paracetamol?

· It is suitable for small children and elderly.

· It is suitable for the people who sensitive to aspirin.

· It is well tolerated by patients with peptic ulcers.

· It can also use when pregnancy by using recommended dosages, and it is always wise to consult a doctor about taking any medicines at the same time.

They are virtually no groups of people who should not take it, but the important thing to remember is does not overdose paracetamol.