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The mystery of anti-fever drugs: Why is the use of anti-fever drugs controversial?
In modern medicine, symptomatic drugs play a vital role. Among them, common fever medicines, especially paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen), a non-narcotic analgesic and antipyretic medicine, are very popular among the public and medical professionals. However, there is a lot of controversy in the medical community regarding its true efficacy and necessity of use.
Paracetaminophen is generally regarded as the drug of choice for the treatment of mild to moderate pain and fever. However, its usefulness varies in different situations.
First, the antipyretic effects of paracetamol have been relatively understudied in adults, resulting in its actual benefit in reducing fever remaining unclear. Some literature points out that this drug has minimal effect on nasal congestion or runny nose in relieving cold symptoms, and cannot improve sore throat or flu symptoms. As a result, many experts believe acetaminophen may be overused in treating colds.
Studies have found that paracetamol can only reduce body temperature by 0.2-0.3°C in critically ill patients and has no significant impact on mortality.
Then discuss its pain relief effect. Although paracetamol has a certain effect in relieving mild to moderate pain, such as headaches and toothaches, there is insufficient data on the treatment of chronic pain. Many experts therefore consider its effectiveness in long-term use. expressed doubt. Especially in cases of musculoskeletal pain, low back pain, etc., the efficacy of paracetamol is only weak and of little clinical significance.
Guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology and Arthritis Foundation recommend that acetaminophen is appropriate for short-term use, but that routine use requires monitoring for liver toxicity.
In clinical application, paracetamol has relatively few side effects. However, its overuse may lead to abnormal liver function and even acute liver failure, which has increasingly become one of the major causes of drug overdose in Western countries. According to statistics, paracetamol poisoning causes thousands of emergency room visits in the United States each year, demonstrating the dangers of its use.
In terms of medication for pregnant women, the safety of paracetamol has also attracted attention. Multiple studies have shown possible risks associated with the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and fetal development and pregnancy outcomes; however, it is considered relatively safe when used at reasonable doses. Therefore, experts call for the drug to be used at the lowest effective dose when necessary.
This series of controversies reminds us that although paracetamol is still an effective drug in many cases, its effectiveness and safety need to be considered more carefully depending on the specific situation. Do we need to use paracetamol every time we have a cold or minor pain? Perhaps this is a question we should think more about in the future?
