New Testing for Acetaminophen Overdose
Acetaminophen toxicity is the leading cause of liver failure in the United
States, according to the Center for Disease Control. Acetaminophen can be
found in pain relieving drugs and is safe if used at the recommended dosage.
However, when misused with alcohol or taken in excess it can lead to liver
failure and even death.
Currently acetaminophen toxicity is determined by taking a blood sample of
an individual and measuring for elevated levels of acetaminophen in the
blood. This must be done within 24 hours of a suspected overdose, due to
the fact that acetaminophen is only present for 24 hours after a large
overdose. In the past when patients were admitted in the hospital for liver
damage with undetermined causes, leaving doctors baffled to the cause of
the liver damage.
According to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, researchers
have developed a more effective diagnostic test for acetaminophen
poisoning. The test relies on protein markers found in the blood that can
detect acetaminophen poisoning effectively to determine whether the liver
damage is related to acetaminophen.
A study conducted by Jack A. Hinson, Ph.D., a professor in the UAMS
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, discovered that out of 64
individuals who had undetermined causes of liver damage, 8 were found to
have had acetaminophen overdose as the cause. The protein adduct test is
effective in helping make better diagnoses and also in helping improve and
educate to prevent future incidences of acetaminophen overdoses
