Fulminant hepatic failure and paracetamol overuse with therapeutic intent in febrile children.
Indian J Pediatr
;
2006 Oct; 73(10): 871-5
Article
in English
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-82952
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the risk of fulminant hepatic failure in relation to paracetamol overuse with therapeutic intent in febrile children.METHODS:
It was a case control study. Paracetamol ingestion for the current febrile illness was compared between 25 cases of fulminant hepatic failure and 33 hospital age matched controls.RESULTS:
Supra-therapeutic doses of paracetamol (mean 145 mg/kg/day) were consumed by all 25 cases compared to none in the control group. Mean paracetamol level in the cases and controls were, respectively, 26.84 mg /dl and 0.051 mg /dl (p< 0.001). The mean duration of paracetamol intake prior to admission in cases was 3. 45 days compared to 1.85 days in the control group. Nineteen, 5 and 3 were, respectively, graded as hepatic encephalopathy grade 1, 2 and 3. All six patients in grade 2 and 3 had hepatomegaly compared to 78% in the grade 1. Four had jaundice and all were in grade 2 or 3. Mean alanine aminotransferase was 2781 U/L None of the randomly selected cases (6) had serological evidence of Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B or Dengue. Three cases died.CONCLUSION:
Exposure to multiple supratherapeutic doses of paracetamol is a risk factor to develop fulminant hepatic failure in children with an acute viral like febrile illness.
Full text:
Available
Index:
IMSEAR (South-East Asia)
Main subject:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Virus Diseases
/
Case-Control Studies
/
Child
/
Child, Preschool
/
Risk Factors
/
Liver Failure, Acute
/
Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Observational study
/
Risk factors
Language:
English
Journal:
Indian J Pediatr
Year:
2006
Type:
Article
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