Attachments in general practice for hospital trainees.

whom she (solely) confided, who insisted that this could be dangerous and referred to the episode of Casualty, which had been screened the previous week. It was only when the friend detailed the fate of the young girl in the television series, who had taken an overdose of paracetamol and progressed to liver failure, that our patient reluctantly agreed to go to hospital. This patient had not viewed that episode of Casualty. In his recent editorial, Gary P Bray commented that increased public awareness of the dangers of paracetamol should at least lessen the risk of accidental overdosage.2 Our case report supports his view that "aware" relatives or friends of overdose patients may be more likely to encourage prompt medical attention. The Casualty series influences patients and the general public in many different ways. Thankfully our patient did not develop anything more serious than a transient rise in her liver enzymes; however, the educational value of the programme may well have influenced her progress.