Acetaminophen / Paracetamol Leading Cause of Acute Liver Failure in US
Acetaminophen / Paracetamol, an extremely popular over-the-counter painkiller, is now the leading cause of acute liver failure in US. Almost half of those cases are due to accidental overdoses.
Paracetamol (or acetaminophen as it is known in the US) is used by millions of Americans each year, and is commonly thought to be safe. Between 1998 and 2003, the proportion of cases of liver failure caused by the drug nearly doubled.
Research by William Lee at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and his colleagues suggests a clear threshold for what constitutes a safe dose of the drug.
Accidental poisoning can occur by taking just 10 grams of the medication each day for about three days - the equivalent of about 20 pills per day instead of the recommended eight. This can also happen by taking two products each of which contains the drug.
Reference: Hepatology, vol 42, p 1364 via New Scientist
Filed under Health
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