International Scholarly Research Notices

Review Article

The Use of Ketogenic Diet in Pediatric Patients with Epilepsy

Table 4

Carbohydrate content in pediatric analgesics/antipyretics and daily total carbohydrate estimates for a five-year-old child (weighing 18 kg) on maximum treatment doses (concerns for the patient on a ketogenic diet) [5]. Medications with high carbohydrate content (≥2 g per dose) are highlighted in bold.


Description (brand name)	Dosage unit	Grams carbohydrate per dosage unit	Maximum daily dose for an 18 kg 5-year-old child	Daily carbohydrate total from maximum dosing of medication for a 18 kg 5-year-old child (grams)

Acetaminophen extended release caplets (Tylenol)	650 mg	<0.03	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	<1
Acetaminophen extra strength caplets (Tylenol)	500 mg	<0.05	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	<1
Acetaminophen extra strength gel caps (Tylenol)	500 mg	<0.05	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	<1
Acetaminophen infant drops (grape and cherry) (Tylenol)	0.8 mL	<0.71	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	n/a for this patient
Acetaminophen liquid suspension (cherry) (Tylenol)	160 mg/5 mL	<5	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	42.2
Acetaminophen regular strength caplets (Tylenol)	325 mg	<0.04	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	<1
Acetaminophen elixir (Tylenol)	160 mg/5 mL	<1.6	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	13.5
Acetaminophen extra strength liquid (Tylenol)	1000 mg/30 mL	<5.7	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	7.7
Acetaminophen junior strength swallowable caplets (Tylenol)	160 mg	<0.4	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	<1
Acetaminophen grape flavored suspension (Tylenol)	160 mg/5 mL	<4.8	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	40.5
Acetaminophen elixir with codeine (Tylenol with Codeine) *0.35 g ethyl alcohol/5 mL	120 mg/5 mL	3	15 mg/kg/dose of APAP^b for 5 doses/day	33.8
Acetaminophen with codeine tablets (Tylenol with Codeine)	All strengths	0.05	15 mg/kg/dose of APAP for 5 doses/day	<1
Acetaminophen chewable tablets (Tylenol)	80 mg	0.25	15 mg/kg/dose for 5 doses/day	4
Ibuprofen tablets (Advil)	200 mg	0.23	40 mg/kg/day	0.7
Ibuprofen drops (Motrin)	40 mg/mL	<0.41	40 mg/kg/day	7.4
Ibuprofen suspension (Motrin)	100 mg/5 mL	<0.63	40 mg/kg/day	4.5
Ibuprofen chewable tablets (Motrin)	50 mg	<0.28	40 mg/kg/day	3.9
Ibuprofen chewable tablets (Motrin)	100 mg	<0.54	40 mg/kg/day	3.8

^aFor a five-year-old child weighing 18 kg, the maximum recommended carbohydrate amount is 21 g per day for the 3 : 1 classic ketogenic diet.
^bAPAP: N-acetyl-para-aminophenol, or better known as acetaminophen.