Acetaminophen is one of the most common medicines administered to children. In Iceland, the most common route of acetaminophen administration is per rectum although research shows that when the medicine is given orally it is absorbed more quickly and more completely. The purpose of the study was to explore parents’ use of acetaminophen for 3-7 years old children to determine what form they use and why. This study provides basic information needed to design appropriate parental education in pain management. Conceptual framework: The child-parent support component of the therapeutic interventions in the Nursing Pain Management Model (Broome & Huth, 2003) provided the framework. Methods/participants: Parents (N=103) of children in four play schools in Reykjavík participated in this survey research. Results: All but two parents had administered acetaminophen to their children; almost all had used suppositories (97%); 57% had used only suppositories. Twenty one percent had used chewable tablets and fewer had used elixir or drops. The majority reported that it was easy to administer suppositories and 33% reported that the child accepted them. However, 18% reported that the child did not want to receive suppositories and 8% did not want to use suppositories or found them difficult to administer. About 20% of the suppository-only group wrote on the questionnaire that they did not know the other forms existed. The majority (79%) of the parents had been advised about use of suppositories, only 13% about elixir and fewer about the other forms. The majority (77%) of the parents had received information from physicians, 54% from nurses, and 39% from the pharmacy. Eleven percent had not received information from health care professionals. Conclusions: Education for parents about the use of acetaminophen including different forms may improve parents’ ability to manage their children’s pain and fever.
Session #1193 - Issues Related to the Care of Infants & Children
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)