Citation

Ceschi A, Hofer KE, Rauber-Lüthy C, Kupferschmidt H. Eur. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 2011; 67(1): 97-99.

Affiliation

Division of Science, Swiss Toxicological Information Centre, Freiestrasse 16, CH-8032, Zurich, Switzerland, Alessandro.Ceschi@usz.ch.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00228-010-0943-x

PMID

21104406

Abstract

PURPOSE: Childhood paracetamol (acetaminophen) ingestion with subsequent risk of hepatotoxicity is a major medical problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of high-dose ingestion of orodispersible, fast-disintegrating paracetamol tablets in children. METHODS: A retrospective single-center case study of all accidental selfadministrations of solid or orodispersible 500-mg paracetamol tablets occurring in children ≤ 6 years, reported to the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre between June 2003 and August 2009. RESULTS: We found 187 cases with ingestion of solid 500-mg paracetamol tablets and 16 cases with ingestion of orodispersible 500-mg tablets. The mean ingested dose in the orodispersible-tablet group was 59% higher than in the solid-tablet group (p = 0.085). Administration of activated charcoal and/or N-acetylcysteine because of ingestion of a potentially hepatotoxic paracetamol dose ( ≥ 150 mg/kg body weight) was recommended in 32 patients (17.1%) in the solid-tablet group and in five (31%) in the orodispersible-tablet group. CONCLUSIONS: Orodispersible paracetamol formulations may represent an important risk factor for severe paracetamol poisoning in children. Over-the-counter availability may contribute to increasing the use of this galenic formulation and eventually the number of poisonings in children.

Language: en