- Title
- Management of acute paracetamol poisoning in a tertiary care hospital
- Creator
- Senarathna, S. M. D. K. G.; Ranganathan, S. Sri; Dawson, A. H.; Buckley, N.; Fernandopulle, B. M. R.
- Relation
- Ceylon Medical Journal Vol. 53, Issue 3, p. 89-92
- Relation
- http://www.sljol.info/index.php/CMJ/article/view/248
- Publisher
- Sri Lanka Medical Association
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2008
- Description
- Objectives: To compare the management of acute paracetamol poisoning with the best evidence available, and to determine the effect of plasma paracetamol level estimation on the management. Design: Descriptive study with an intervention. Setting: Medical wards of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. Patients: Patients admitted with a history of acute paracetamol poisoning. Intervention: Measurement of plasma paracetamol. Methods: Data were obtained from the patients, medical staff and medical records. Plasma paracetamol was estimated between 4-24 hours of paracetamol ingestion. The current management practices were compared with the best evidence on acute paracetamol poisoning management. Results: 157 patients were included. The mean ingested dose of paracetamol was 333 mg/kg body weight. Majority of the patients (84%) were transfers. Induced emesis and activated charcoal were given to 91% of patients. Nacetylcysteine was given to 66, methionine to 55, and both to 2. A clinically important delay in the administration of antidotes was noted; 68% of patients received antidotes after 8 hours of the acute ingestion. Only 31 (26%) had paracetamol levels above the Rumack-Matthew normogram. 74 patients received an antidote despite having a plasma paracetamol level below the toxic level according to the normogram. Interpretation: Management of acute paracetamol poisoning could be improved by following best available evidence and adapting cheaper methods for plasma paracetamol estimation.
- Subject
- acute paracetamol poisoning; N-acetylcysteine; methionine
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/39586
- Identifier
- uon:4451
- Identifier
- ISSN:0009-0875
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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