With the start of school, the number of small patients with respiratory viruses associated with returning to the community, as well as with COVID-19, has increased, notes pediatrician Mihai Kraiu. In this context, the doctor emphasizes the dangers of medicines that many people have at home, and antifreeze can be fatal for babies.

Doctor Mihai Krayu draws attention to the liver toxicity of drugs that are given in too high doses or in unsuccessful combinations.

The renowned pediatrician points to a paper published by Professor Coriolan Ulmeanu, an expert in pediatric toxicology, in which he puts paracetamol first among common drugs as a cause of serious liver toxicity.

Doctor Mihai Kraiu points out in a post on the Facebook page of the virtual children’s hospital. that a dose of more than 200 mg per kg in a child can cause death. That is, 2 effervescent tablets of 500 mg for a small child of 5 kg.

The pediatrician also gave recommendations in case of overdose.

“If the overdose is recent (less than 4 hours after ingestion), go to the hospital immediately, even if there are no signs of illness! For the assessment and dosage of paracetamol in the blood…

If more than 8 hours or less have passed, but there are signs of illness (abdominal pain in the area of ​​the liver – under the ribs on the right side – or nausea and vomiting, or jaundice and bleeding), it is necessary to return to the hospital urgently. All is not lost. Paracetamol can be dosed in the blood and, if necessary, an antidote can be administered.

If more than 8 hours have passed after administration, the antidote is administered directly. This is N-acetyl-cysteine. That’s what it says in all the protocols,” said doctor Mihai Krayu.