The episode (described in detail in accompanying article) depicted a man suffering potentially fatal liver damage after an untreated paracetamol overdose. Although the particular dose (50 tablets) and delay before presentation (2 days) were mentioned, the episode did not specify minimal toxic doses or maximum safe delays. At one week and 32 weeks after this episode was broadcast, we sent questi...

Paracetamol is used widely in pediatrics because it has a high drug safety when used in therapeutic dosages. In case of overdose the majority of paracetamol is metabolized to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), which is responsible for the severe toxic effects. The covalent connection between NAPQI and hepatic proteins leads to hepatocellular damage and possibly to severe liver failure. The ...

New regulations for the control of paracetamol come into force in October 2001. These are greatly welcomed and should lead to a reduction in paracetamol poisoning. Existing conditions for the sale and supply of paracetamol (Irish Medicines Board (IMB), 1997), which have no statutory basis, state that non-pharmacy outlets should only sell emergency supplies of paracetamol in a maximum pack size ...

Human erythrocytes were pre-incubated in vitro with paracetamol and then erythrocyte’s rheological properties of deformability, osmotic fragility and aggregation were evaluated after being compromised by various means. Paracetamol (1, 2, 4mg/ml) significantly prevented the loss of deformability through 5m diameter pores of erythrocytes dehydrated with hypertonic buffer or with calcium ionophor...

BACKGROUND Acute liver injury (ALI) induced by paracetamol overdose is a well known cause of emergency hospital admission and death. However, there is debate regarding the risk of ALI after therapeutic dosages of the drug.The aim is to describe the characteristics of patients admitted to hospital with jaundice who had previous exposure to therapeutic doses of paracetamol. An assessment of the c...

OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of two recalls of paracetamol products on rates of intentional and unintentional overdoses of paracetamol in all age groups, as well as any effect on poisoning by other agents. DESIGN A before-and-after epidemiological study using data from the Western Australian Health Services Research Linked Database, which records all admissions to public and private hospit...

BACKGROUND Most NSAIDs are thought to be able to cause hepatic injury and acute liver failure (ALF), but the event rates of those leading to transplantation (ALFT) remain uncertain. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to estimate population event rates for NSAID-associated ALFT METHODS: This was a case-population study of ALFT in 57 eligible liver transplant centres in seven countries (France...