Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen Administration Among Caregivers of the Pediatric Age Group in Jeddah

Abstract

Background Fever is one of the most common pediatric conditions usually managed by parents and the cause of nearly all pediatrician visits. However, many parents find the management of childhood fever and febrile diseases challenging owing to a lack of understanding of the nature, effects, and therapies of fever management. Objectives This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of paracetamol and ibuprofen administration among caregivers of the pediatric age group. Design Observational cross-sectional survey. Setting Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods Data were collected between April 2018 and April 2019 using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire consisting of 40 questions. Sample Size Overall, 493 caregivers were interviewed. Results Paracetamol was reported as the most common antipyretic used by the caregivers (54%) to control fever. Ibuprofen was the least preferred drug (18.5%). The majority of the participants (51.7%) admitted administering antipyretics at a body temperature of 38-38.5°C. A total of 90.7% of the participants measured children's temperature using a thermometer before administering antipyretics. Dosage was determined according to each child's age (40.4%), weight (32%), or illness severity (27.6%). However, 36.7% and 51.5% of the participants were unsure of the correct dosage of paracetamol and ibuprofen, respectively. Regarding the maximum frequency of paracetamol use, only 3.7% of the participants answered correctly. Most parents (70.4%) believed that a paracetamol/ibuprofen prescription was not necessary. Overall, 97% of the sample demonstrated inadequate knowledge about antipyretic administration. Conclusions Most caregivers had inadequate knowledge regarding factors that influence paracetamol and ibuprofen dosage and frequency of administration. This low level of knowledge increases the risk of improper drug intake, which can result in serious side effects, thereby indicating the need for the development of educational route programs to provide parents with appropriate education and information on fever and fever management.

Keywords: fever management; pain; pediatric pharmacology.