Old lady hospitalized after taking paracetamol overdose

According to her family, Mrs. T has a history of diabetes for more than 10 years and is taking regular medication. In addition, she often has headaches but many visits to the doctor have not detected any specific pathology, so she still maintains the habit of buying medicine to take herself. Whenever she has a headache, she often takes paracetamol combined with some brain tonics without a doctor's prescription.

Late in the evening of May 21, she had a severe headache. Thinking that it was just a familiar symptom, she took a few paracetamol pills. However, after a while, she did not feel better, so she continued to take more. According to her family (not verified), she took about 20 paracetamol pills in total. Only about 30 minutes later, her body went limp, her limbs were limp, and she could not control her movements. Realizing her abnormal condition, her family immediately took her to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases for emergency care that same night.

Fortunately, the patient was given a bowel wash and timely treatment, and no damage to the liver or other internal organs was recorded. Currently, her health is stable, she can eat and walk normally.

Dr. Tran Van Bac - Deputy Head of the Emergency Department, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases said that paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) is a common pain reliever and fever reducer, often used in cases of mild to moderate pain, fever due to colds or flu. The drug is easily purchased, does not require a prescription and is generally very safe when used in the correct dose. However, if abused or overdosed, paracetamol can cause serious poisoning, especially liver damage - even leading to acute liver failure if not intervened promptly.

Dr. Tran Van Bac recommends that people do not arbitrarily use painkillers when the cause of the disease is not clear. Taking many pills at once or combining drugs with the same active ingredient paracetamol can easily lead to overdose without the user realizing it. When there are signs of suspected drug poisoning such as nausea, fatigue, pain in the liver area, jaundice, confusion, etc., the patient should be taken to a medical facility as soon as possible. In particular, the elderly and patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and kidney disease should consult a doctor before using any medication, including non-prescription drugs.

Ngoc Nga

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/tu-uong-paracetamol-qua-lieu-cu-ba-nhap-vien-cap-cuu-post549453.html