PARACETAMOL POISONING: CAN IT BE PREVENTED?

1Paracetamol Usage Study, Paracetamol Information Centre, London: 1993.

2 Hirschowitz BI Lanas A. Intractable upper gastrointestinal ulceration due to aspirin in patients who have undergone surgery for peptic ulcer. Gastroenterology 1998; 114(5):883-92.

3 Sturtevant J. NSAID-induced bronchospasm – a common and serious problem. A report from MEDSAFE. NZ Dent J 1999; 95(421):84.

4 Szczeklik A. Adverse reactions to aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Ann Allergy 1987; 59(5):113-8.

5 Shaheen SO JAC Sterne Songhurst CE Frequent paracetamol use and asthma in adults. Thorax 2000; 55:266-70.

6Shin G-Y, Dargan P, Jones AL. Paracetamol and asthma. Thorax 2000; 55:882.

7 Hawton K Trends in deliberate self poisoning and selfinjury in Oxford Fagg J. , 1976–1980. BMJ 1992; 304(6839):1409-11.

8 Thomas SHL JE Horner Chew K Paracetamol poisoning in the North East of England: presentation, early management and outcome. Hum Exp Toxicol 1997;16:495-500.

9 Spooner JB Harvey JG. Paracetamol overdosage – facts not misconceptions. Pharmaceutical Journal 1993; 250:706-7.

10 Henry JA Alexander CA. Relative toxicity from antidepressants in overdose. BMJ 1995; 28(3):221-4.

11 Chapman BJ Proudfoot AT. Adult salicylate poisoning: deaths and outcome in patients with high plasma salicylate concentration. QJM 1988; 268:699-707.

12 Smolinske SC AH Hall Vandenberg SA Toxic effects on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents in overdose. An overview of recent evidence on clinical effects and dose-response relationships. Drug Saf 1990; 5(4):252-74.

13 Crome P JA Vale Volans GN Oral methionine in the treatment of severe paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose. Lancet 1976; 2:829-30.

14 Jones AL PC Hayes Proudfoot AT Should methionine be added to every paracetamol tablet? BMJ 1997; 315:301-3.

15 Ray JG Folic acid and homocysteine metabolic defects and the risk of placental abruption Laskin CA. , pre-eclampsia and spontaneous pregnancy loss. Placenta 1999; 20(7):519-29.

16 Wong WY Eskes TK; Kuijpers-Jagtman AM Nonsyndromic orofacial clefts: association with maternal hyperhomocysteinaemia. Teratology 1999; 60(5):253-7.

17 Cohen SM A Nichols Wyatt R The administration of methionine to chronic schizophrenic patients: a review of ten studies. Biol Psychiatry 1974; 8:209-25.

18 Breillout F Hadida F; Echinard-Garin P Decreased rat rhabdomyosarcoma pulmonary metastases in response to low methionine diet. Anticancer Res 1986; 76:629-39.

19 Guo H Lishko VK; Herrerd H Therapeutic tumour specific cell cycle block induced by methionine starvation in vivo. Cancer Res 1993; 53:5676-9.

20 Arnesen E Refsum H The Tromsö study: a population based prospective study of serum total homocysteine and coronary heart disease. Int J Epidemiol 1995; 346:1395-8.

21 Perry IJ Refsum H; Morris RW Prospective study of serum total homocysteine concentrations and risk of stroke in middle-aged British men. Lancet 1995; 346:1395-8.

22 Stampfer MJ Malinow R. Can lowering homocysteine levels reduce cardiovascular risk? N Engl J Med 1995; 332:328-9.

23 Morgan MY AW Marshall Milsom JP Plasma aminoacid patterns in liver disease. Gut 1982; 23(5):362-70.

24 McAuley DF CG Hanratty McGurk C Effect of methionine supplementation on endothelial function, plasma homocysteine and lipid peroxidation. Clin Tox 1999; 37(4): 435-40.

25 Krenzelok EP. Controversies in management: should methionine be added to every paracetamol tablet? Yes: but perhaps only in developing countries. BMJ 1997; 315:303-4.

26 Prescott LF RN Illingworth Critchley JAJH Intravenous N-Acetylcysteine: the treatment of choice for paracetamol poisoning. BMJ 1979; 2:1079-100.

27 Hawton K C Ware Mistry H Why patients chose paracetamol for self poisoning and their knowledge of its dangers. BMJ 1995; 310:164-8.

28 Robinson D GD Johnston Smith AMJ. The effect of limiting the availability of paracetamol on overdose severity. Clin Tox 2000; 38: 250-1. [abstract]

29 Donoghue E Tracey JA. Restrictions on the sale of paracetamol in Ireland had no impact on the number of tablets ingested in acute deliberate overdose. Clin Tox 2000; 38:251. [abstract]

30 Gow PJ RA Smallwood Angus PW. Paracetamol overdosage in a liver transplant centre: an 8-year experience. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1990;14(8):817-21.

31 Veysey MJ R Kamanyire Volans GN. Effects of drug overdose in television drama on presentations from self poisoning. Antifreeze poisonings give more insight into copycat behaviour. BMJ 1999; 319:1131.

32R Bates, Scottish Liver Transplant Unit, Personal Communication.

33Dr I Whyte, Newcastle, Australia, Personal Communication.