When a child has mild cold symptoms such as fever and cough, and looks at the overcrowded pediatric outpatient department and emergency department, it is also a good choice to go to the pharmacy to buy some over-the-counter drugs to relieve the symptoms for the child.
However, even over-the-counter drugs do not mean that they can be used casually. If they are not used properly, they may backfire and aggravate the child’s illness.
At present, there are many kinds of over-the-counter drugs for treating children’s colds in pharmacies, and there is no way to comment on them one by one, but remember some big principles, which are very important for safe medication. Summarize the main points of children’s cold medication, mainly including [eight essentials] and [eight essentials].
Eight Essentials
STEP 1 Make sure of the dosage
The dosage of some drugs for children is calculated according to the weight of the child. The specific dosage is not only carefully asked the pharmacy staff when buying drugs, but also carefully read the drug instructions before taking them to the child, and calculate the accurate dosage according to the age and weight of the child to avoid excessive dosage.
2. Carefully understand contraindications and other matters needing attention,
In particular, dosage, adverse reactions, contraindications, and foods or exercises that should be taboo when taking the drug.
3. Symptomatic treatment is required.
Use as few compound preparations as possible. The more complex the drug composition, the greater the risk of adverse reactions. Children with what symptoms should choose drugs that are only used to treat the symptoms.
For example, if the child only has fever symptoms, only use drugs that can reduce fever, not drugs that can also relieve cough and nasal obstruction.
Step 4 Use the right tools
Using the correct feeding tools, such as syringes, droppers, special measuring cups, etc., can more accurately know the dosage of the medicine, and can also more conveniently dispense or feed the medicine to children. At present, droppers, measuring cups, etc. will be attached to the packaging of many children’s medication, which is very convenient and accurate.
5. Make the handover clear
When the child is ill, There may be many adults to take turns to take care of the children. It is suggested that the children’s medication dose, medication time, disease changes and other unified records on a piece of paper. When different people take care of the children, the handover should be clear. Each person who takes care of the children should know that the children have used what medicine and what medicine, which can effectively avoid repeated medication, misuse and missed use.
6. Keep the original package
Only in this way can we ensure that we know the validity period, dosage and adverse reactions of each drug.
7. Safe storage
Keep home medicines out of sight and reach of children.
However, do not store the medicine in the bath room or the cabinet in the bath room, because these places are usually very hot and humid, and the medicine is easy to fail.
8. Pay Attention to Storage Conditions
Generally speaking, drugs are required to be stored in a cool and dry place. Good storage conditions can prevent drugs from failing.
Eight don’t
1. Do not give cold medicine and cough medicine to children under 4 years old.
In particular, compound cold medicine should not be taken casually unless there is a doctor’s prescription.
2. Don’t cheat children that drugs are candy.
Even if the medicine with good taste tastes like candy or syrup, don’t say it is candy in order to make the child take medicine, otherwise he may eat it secretly next time. If the taste is not good, you can’t cheat even more. If you take one bite, who will believe you next time? The child is the cleverest.
3. Don’t give aspirin to children under the age of 18
Aspirin-containing compound drugs should not be taken either. Please carefully read the active ingredients column in the drug instructions. Taking aspirin to children may lead to very serious or even fatal Wright’s syndrome.
4. Don’t take both prescription and over-the-counter drugs
Some parents will buy some over-the-counter drugs for their children before, and if the effect is not good, they will go to a doctor again. When the doctor writes a prescription, remember to ask the doctor if the over-the-counter drugs he is taking can continue to take.
STEP 5 Don’t take multiple drugs at the same time
Do not take more than one cold medicine at the same time, especially compound medicine, without the doctor’s permission.
Because the ingredients in compound drugs are very similar now, taking multiple drugs at the same time may produce cumulative effects and lead to overdose. For example, many over-the-counter cold medicines and even some proprietary Chinese medicines contain acetaminophen and antihistamines, and repeated administration may lead to liver damage.
STEP 6 Don’t take expired drugs
The packaging box of each drug will indicate the validity period, after which it must be thrown away and cannot be taken any more. Otherwise, it may not only have no effect, but also bring adverse reactions.
7. Don’t take proprietary Chinese medicine
The curative effect of many proprietary Chinese medicines is not clear, and the adverse reactions are not clearly studied, and the research on children is almost blank, so it is not recommended to give children proprietary Chinese medicines.
8. Don’t delay too long
If the child’s fever, cough and other symptoms do not improve or tend to worsen after 3-5 days, this indicates that the child’s symptoms may not be a simple cold, and he should see a doctor in time to avoid delaying treatment.