Tylenol Overdose Can Be Deadly for a Child
06/08/12
FRIDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- Overdoses of the pain and
fever drug acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol) are a leading cause
of acute liver failure in children, and more public education is
needed to warn parents and others of this danger, experts say.
Acetaminophen is a widely available over-the-counter medication,
but repeated doses above the recommended level, or overdoses due to
errors or intentional consumption, can lead to acute liver failure
and even death in children, according to Dr. Rod Lim, of the
Children's Hospital at the London Health Sciences Center in
Ontario, Canada, and colleagues.
Writing in the June 4 issue of the
Canadian Medical Association Journal, they cite a case study of parents who mistakenly gave their 22-day-old baby boy too much acetaminophen after a circumcision. The mistake was discovered, and the child recovered after receiving intravenous treatment with N-acetylcysteine, the standard treatment for liver toxicity.
A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. poison
control centers looked at 238 cases of serious medication errors in
children under age 6 and found that acetaminophen overdose was the
most common cause of life-threatening events, long-term illness or
death.
Lim and colleagues said in a journal news release that doctors
and pharmacists need to continue to educate parents and caregivers
about proper use of acetaminophen and other medications in
children. In addition, they called for better labeling and dosing
information and said acetaminophen should be kept behind the
counter so that pharmacists can advise parents on correct dosing
for children.
Better dosing devices are also needed because many parents use
spoons, which are not standard sizes and can lead to overdoses, the
authors said.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about
children and medicine safety.
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