Help Patients Use Acetaminophen Safely (June 2009)

Acetaminophen toxicity is a leading cause of acute liver failure, resulting in an estimated 400 deaths in this country each year. Many of these events are happening because patients are unknowingly taking too much of the drug.

Several factors contribute to these unintentional acetaminophen overdoses. First, people may not be aware that they are in danger of liver damage if they exceed the maximum recommended dose, or that alcohol exacerbates the risk. Also, they may not realize how much acetaminophen they are consuming if they take more than one product containing this drug. Taking too much can be easy to do, because acetaminophen is widely found in both OTC and prescription drug products, in as many as 600 of them, including analgesics, antipyretics, cough/cold remedies and sleep aids. In this situation, people may not even recognize that some of the drugs they are taking contain acetaminophen.

One study, published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association in 2007, surveyed 104 adult patients presenting to an internal medicine clinic. 79% reported using a product that contained acetaminophen within the previous six months, but only 43% could identify problems that could arise from high doses of acetaminophen. And while 71% of patients recognized that Tylenol contains acetaminophen, fewer than 15% knew that Vicodin (hydrocodone/ acetaminophen), Darvocet (propoxyphene napsylate/) and Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminophen) contain acetaminophen.

Children are also at risk of acetaminophen overdose if they are given the adult formulation or the wrong pediatric formulation, if the dose is not calculated correctly for the child's weight, or if the wrong dosing device is used.

FDA is encouraging health care providers to educate patients and caregivers about how to use pain medicines safely. Instruct them about the correct dosing frequency for products that contain acetaminophen, and be sure they understand that having three or more alcoholic drinks per day can raise the risk of acetaminophen toxicity. Warn them about taking multiple products containing the same active ingredient. And instruct parents on the correct weight-based dose for their child and remind them to use the proper measuring device for liquid formulations.

Acetaminophen is a safe and effective analgesic and antipyretic when it is used properly. But careless or uninformed use can lead to serious liver damage and death. Healthcare providers can play an important role in protecting their patients from acetaminophen toxicity.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Acetaminophen
• FDA
• Toxicity
• Liver Failure
• Death
• Overdose
• Vicodin
• Tylenol
• Darvocet
• Percocet
• Patient Safety
• Analgesic

[newmansgirl93]

for 1 day? not @ all.

325 to 650 mg every 4 to 6 hours.

[BluntRola]

is 500 mg too much?