Paracetamol … the cause of more than 150 hospitalisations a week in Australia. Source: News Limited
It’s the most common painkiller in every medicine cupboard but paracetamol is poisoning 8,000 Aussies a year.
More than 150 patients a week are hospitalised as a result of paracetamol poisoning and experts say the problem is on the rise.
A new study has found paracetamol is now responsible for one in five deliberate poisoning cases that present to hospital emergency departments around Australia.
Monash University Emergency medicine expert Professor Andis Graudins is warning large packs of modified release paracetamol used to control arthritis are putting patients at greater risk of a larger overdose.
The problem with modified release doses of the medicine used for arthritis is that initial blood tests may record non- toxic levels of paracetamol in the blood, Professor Graudins says.
However, the concentration of Panadol in the patient’s system may rise later as the modified release mechanism of the medicine kicks in.
In a paper published in the journal Emergency Medicine Australiasia Professor Graudins says this is why it is essential doctors test patients again four hours after the first test to see if paracetamol concentration has increased.
Another problem is that this and other types of Panadol are available in very large pack sizes of between 96 and 100 pills.
He’s calling on authorities to consider restricting pack sizes to help with the problem.
While restricting pack sizes won’t reduce the number of paracetamol overdoes it may reduce the severity of some overdoses, he says.
Supermarkets were last year banned from selling large packs of the painkiller in a crackdown by the medicines safety watchdog.
Packs containing more than 21 paracetamol tablets are now only available in pharmacies.
Paracetamol is the pill most commonly used in self harm cases because it is easily obtainable over the counter.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration says approximately 8000 patients per year are treated in Australia for paracetamol overdose taken as deliberate self-harm, usually without suicidal intent.
“It can kill if you take enough and you don’t get the appropriate medical treatment,” Professor Graudins says.
Most people who overdose on paracetamol tend to present at hospital emergency departments within four to five hours, he said.
Unless patients are given an antidote to paracetamol within eight hours of an overdose they risk liver inflammation and can experience liver failure.
Death from Panadol overdose can take up to five days and is extremely painful as the liver and kidneys fail, Professor Graudins says.
If you need help or someone to speak to please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.