Acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used over the counter pain medications and is absolutely safe and effective, if used properly. However, the margin between safe use and unsafe levels can be small, and the potential for unintentional overdoses is significant, potentially causing liver failure and even death. In the US, it’s responsible for more than 150 deaths a year.
One of the most common issues is parents who mistakenly give their child acetaminophen in multiple products, i.e. fever medication and a cough/cold medication.
Always follow the recommended guidelines on the medication labels and doctors recommend NOT taking the maximum dose, especially if you are taking acetaminophen for multiple days.
The BC Poison Control Centre is available 24-hours every day for advice and information.
For suspected poisonings, call 604-682-5050 or 1-800-567-8911.
For children, dosing should be by weight. For complete information on maximum dosing of acetaminophen for children and adults, Health Canada has its acetaminophen labeling guidelines on the website.
For more information, click here
Elaine Yong will have more on this story on tonight’s News Hour
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