Acetaminophen overdose happens more frequently than you think. Acetaminophen poisoning has become the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Although many of those cases involve attempted suicides, almost 50% are the result of unintentional overdoses. Above is a table listing the various signs and symptoms associated with acetaminophen poisoning.
Here is a reminder of the important things to consider when administering or ingesting acetaminophen:
- Maximum dosage for adults per day is 4 grams or 4,000 milligrams.
- Maximum dosage for infants and children depends on their weight and dosage must be obtained from their practicing pediatrician.
- If you are taking a combination of medications consult your healthcare provider to inquire if it is safe to take acetaminophen products along with your other medications.
- Always use the provided measuring tool for liquid acetaminophen.
- Always follow the dosing guidelines provided on the medication bottle.
Below is a story of how an acetaminophen overdose affected a family and the lessons to be learned when taking the common OTC pain reliever:
DiJoseph, S (2006). Test for Liver Damage from Acetaminophen Poisioning Found To Be 100% Accurate, (www.newsinferno.com), Retrieved from link: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/1133 http://video.aol.com/video-detail/danger-in-your-medicine-cabinet/4232588662
This is a great story to shed light on the dangers of such a commonly taken OTC medication. Very sad :(
ReplyDeleteGreat site and info.
ReplyDeleteWow I had no idea this was happening! Thankfully my parents had the knowlegde and passed it down to me and I listened! My husband is a paramedic for one of the DFW cities and he said he sees this happen all the time! Kids want to scare their parents, and in one case for more attention, and the patient usually ends up a week later in the emergency room with renal failure, going on to ICU or death. This will definately be in the back of my mind!
ReplyDeleteThis story was so sad and to see the affects of tylenol overdose first hand makes it hit home a little harder. Very informative information that I will be sure to mention to anyone I know who may be overusing OTC pain relievers.
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