injuries poisoning
Acetaminophen Poisoning
Introduction
Acetaminophenpoisoning can cause gastroenteritis within hours and hepatotoxicity 1 to 3 days after ingestion. Severity of hepatotoxicity after a single acute overdose is predicted by serumacetaminophenlevels. Treatment is withN-acetylcysteineto prevent or minimize hepatotoxicity. (See also General Principles of Poisoning .) Acetaminophen(N-acetyl-para-aminophenol or APAP) is contained in>100 products sold over the counter. Products include many children’s preparations in liquid, tablet, and capsule form and many cough and cold preparations. Many prescription drugs also containacetaminophen. Consequently,acetaminophenoverdose is common. 