Paracetamol poisoning and its management with antidote administration
Journal Title: Αρχεία Ελληνικής Ιατρικής - Year 2002, Vol 19, Issue 2
Abstract
Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is the most widely used analgesic in the world and is one of the most frequent causes of poisoning due to pharmaceutical agents. The primary clinical effect of paracetamol poisoning is hepatotoxicity which occurs through accumulation of the toxic intermediate metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine (NAPQI) when hepatic glutathione stores are depleted. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the treatment of choice for paracetamol poisoning and it is most effective when administered during the first 8 hours. However, late administration (15 hours after paracetamol overdose) has now been shown to be safe, while beneficial results may be obtained up to and possibly beyond 24 hours. Furthermore, administration of NAC to patients who have already developed fulminant hepatic failure has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality. Adverse effects have been reported in a small proportion of patients after NAC administration, many of which are dose dependent. There is no evidence that either paracetamol or NAC are teratogenic when administered in pregnancy.
Authors and Affiliations
H. VADALA, P. VLACHOS
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP91271
- DOI -
- Views 83
- Downloads 0
Metabolic syndrome and carcinogenesis
The term metabolic syndrome describes the association between obesity, insulin resistance and the risk of several prominent chronic diseases, including cancer. The causal link between many of the components of the metabo...
Dermatological manifestations as a presenting symptom of hematological disease<br />
No abstract available
Student health card: A preventive programme assessing health issues in medical students.<br /> Development and pilot phase
The mental and physical health care issues of medical students are increasingly being recognized to be both prevalent and complex, and recording and treating their problems can be a difficult task. The importance of prev...
Τhe interwoven intracellular signalling pathway of insulin<br /> and its role in the polycystic ovary syndrome <br />
The mode of action of hormones and the intracellular signalling pathways comprise a continuous object of research, especially in the case of insulin, a hormone with a variety of systematic actions. Studies suggest that t...
Psittacosis (pulmonary infiltrates)
No abstract available