Paracetamol is a leader in the fight against high fever and severe pain. So, it is in every medicine cabinet. Like many other drugs, paracetamol carries a health hazard if the recommended dose is exceeded.
How paracetamol acts inside the body
Since taking the drug, its maximum concentration in the blood can be observed after 4 hours. Paracetamol leaves the body without harming the liver. If it is used within the normal range, then in the liver it undergoes the process of binding to glutathione, then it is excreted.
If you exceed the recommended dose, the symptoms of an overdose of paracetamol can be completely different. This is due to the fact that the liver enzyme (glutathione) is not enough for the accepted dose of the drug, and it begins to interact with the liver cells. This causes their death, which leads to an overdose. Processing products of the drug negatively affect the work of vital organs.
Causes of an overdose of paracetamol, what to do
Specialists identify the following causes of poisoning with this medication:
• Attempt to commit suicide;
• The combination of the drug with alcoholic beverages;
• Taking the drug with others in which it is contained (Fervex, Citramon, Caffetine);
• Disorders in the liver.
How to diagnose an overdose of paracetamol and what to do
When the first suspicions of drug poisoning appear, it is necessary to seek help from qualified specialists. They will prescribe a Rumak-Matthew nomogram, which will help determine the degree of liver damage with the drug. This study should be done at least 4 hours after taking the drug. Since after this time, its concentration in the blood reaches the highest rate.
In case of suspicion of poisoning with an antipyretic agent, it is necessary to check the level of enzymes in the liver responsible for blood coagulation daily.
The main symptoms of an overdose of paracetamol
If the recommended dosage of paracetamol is exceeded, a person may experience four stages of acute poisoning:
1. The first stage of drug poisoning is characterized by nausea and vomiting. General weakness may also be observed. Similar symptoms may appear on the first day after taking paracetamol. Analyzes at the same time do not give positive results.
2. The second stage of an overdose of paracetamol gives others symptoms. It usually occurs after 24 hours or more after taking the drug. Blood tests at the same time give the first indicators of the poisoning of the body. The level of liver enzymes is increasing.
3. The third stage occurs on the third or fourth day after an overdose of the drug. During this period, a person may appear bleeding. Often they turn into liver failure and end with a coma.
Often, liver failure is not diagnosed on time, which leads to undesirable consequences. For this problem, the following symptoms are characteristic:
• A sharp pain in the right hypochondrium;
• A sharp decrease in the liver in size;
• Failures in the heartbeat;
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea;
• Increased peritoneum due to fluid fullness;
• Decreased body temperature.
4. The fourth stage of antipyretic drug poisoning is the recovery period. The liver gradually regenerates damaged cells, which can take anywhere from two weeks to a month. It feels light and calm.
A lethal outcome after administration of paracetamol occurs on the 4th-5th day from the moment of taking a large dose of the drug, if the necessary medical care is not provided.
First aid for an overdose of paracetamol, what to do
Often people who are faced with a situation when a person needs help are lost. However, having some knowledge of first aid can save a life. So, before the ambulance arrives, paracetamol poisoned need:
1. It is necessary to force the victim to drink a lot of water. So he can independently cleanse the stomach from an excess of the drug, and prevent its further entry into the blood.
2. Give the person activated carbon. 1 tablet should be taken for every 10 kg of body weight of the victim. This will help cleanse the body of further intoxication.
3. Then you need to call an ambulance.
The first antidote for intoxication with aracetamol is the substance - Acetylcysteine. When it is taken or administered orally, the toxic substances produced by paracetamol are deactivated and leave the body. It is worth considering the moment that acetylcysteine should be taken no later than 8 hours after taking paracetamol.
Acetylcysteine is usually taken orally or administered as an intravenous infusion. With a milder degree of paracetamol poisoning, methionine is prescribed.
Liver failure, first aid
If liver failure is suspected, it is necessary:
1. Introduce intravenously a solution of glucose, albumin, hemodesis.
2. Conduct vitamin therapy: ascorbic acid and B vitamins.
3. If necessary, specialists prescribe antibiotic therapy.
Depending on the dose of paracetamol that the person took, his further treatment will depend. In mild cases, the outcome will be positive. In more severe cases, the patient may need a liver transplant, and a fatal outcome can occur.
What to do with an overdose of paracetamol in a child
Children often suffer poisoning with this drug easier than adults. This is especially true for babies under 6 years of age. This is due to differences in metabolism. The development of liver failure in children with paracetamol poisoning does not occur. A dangerous dose of paracetamol for a child's body is 150 mg / kg of body weight.
Providing first aid to a child in a similar situation is the same measure as for adults. The difference is only in the dosage of the introduction or administration of antidote substances. With mild intoxication, the course of treatment can be taken at home.
Poison Prevention
If you do not want to experience this, you need to know the rules for taking paracetamol for children and adults, and also follow these recommendations:
• Take paracetamol strictly as prescribed by the doctor no more than once every four hours;
• In the presence of liver pathologies, the dose of paracetamol should be reduced;
• Carefully check the composition of drugs that are prescribed together with paracetamol for the presence of the same substance;
• Do not be treated with paracetamol for longer than 5 days;
• During treatment with paracetamol, alcohol intake should be excluded;
• To avoid children's health problems, paracetamol should be stored in an inaccessible place.
To whom paracetamol is most harmful
The worst and most dangerous phenomenon that occurs with an overdose of paracetamol is liver damage, so people who have liver problems should not take this drug. Since they do not have enough glutathione in their liver. Because of this, the work of the organ is instantly disrupted and the process of cell death occurs.
Numerous studies by scientists have shown that people who regularly drink alcohol, with frequent use of paracetamol, have a risk of liver decomposition. In addition, they do not have to take a high dose of the drug. It is enough to take the recommended dose of paracetamol and drink 0.5 l of beer daily. If you take an increased dose of the drug every day with such an amount of alcohol, an extremely sad result will not be long in coming.
If you take paracetamol in the recommended doses, but for a long time, after a month, liver failure will appear. Plus, prolonged drug abuse can cause internal bleeding. They tend to often end sadly.
If you take a capsule or tablet of expired paracetamol, the consequences can be very different and often unpredictable. Since the manufacturer on the packaging indicates the period of time during which the drug was tested. What will happen when taken after the end date of use is unknown. Therefore, taking expired paracetamol is highly undesirable.
