Paracetamol overdose: the liver unit perspective.
Summary of "Paracetamol overdose: the liver unit perspective."
Liver failure resulting from deliberate or accidental paracetamol overdose continues to be an important reason for referral to liver transplant centres. Severe hepatic dysfunction often appears 72-96 h after overdose. Liver injury can be prevented by timely administration of the specific antidote, N-acetylcysteine. Unfortunately, administration of N-acetylcysteine is frequently delayed due to late presentation or late administration. While N-acetylcysteine works best if given within 8 h of overdose, it is beneficial at any time period and should always be given if there is concern about significant overdose, irrespective of interval from time of ingestion. Early discussion with liver transplant unit is suggested if there is any doubt or evidence of liver failure.
Affiliation
Liver Unit, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Ireland, miqbal70@hotmail.com.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Irish journal of medical science
ISSN: 1863-4362
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22072400
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11845-011-0783-4
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Holistic Health
Health as viewed from the perspective that humans and other organisms function as complete, integrated units rather than as aggregates of separate parts.
Metabolic Clearance Rate
Volume of biological fluid completely cleared of drug metabolites as measured in unit time. Elimination occurs as a result of metabolic processes in the kidney, liver, saliva, sweat, intestine, heart, brain, or other site.
Overdose
An accidental or deliberate dose of a medication or street drug that is in excess of what is normally used.
End Stage Liver Disease
Final stage of a liver disease when the liver failure is irreversible and LIVER TRANSPLANTATION is needed.
Thermal Conductivity
The heat flow across a surface per unit area per unit time, divided by the negative of the rate of change of temperature with distance in a direction perpendicular to the surface. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)
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