Paracetamol overdose can be lethal

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

A survey reveals that around 65 percent of all cases of poisoning admitted to state hospitals in urban areas are victims of pharmaceutical poisoning. Paracetamol is the top poisoning (overdose) pharmaceutical.

Daily at least two patients admitted to the Colombo National Hospital are due to paracetamol overdoses, MOIC of the National Centre for Toxicology Dr. Nihal Peris said.

He was addressing the media at the Health Education Bureau yesterday. Dr. Peiris said that in 2009 (during a period of nine months) there were 362 cases of pharmaceutical poisoning. Out of these 362 cases, 284 were admitted due to paracetamol poisoning. A majority of paracetamol poisoning occurred when persons took paracetamol intentionally to commit suicide.

Meanwhile Consultant Physician and Senior Lecturer of Colombo Medical Faculty Dr. Priyadarshani Galappaththi said that 90 percent of pharmaceutical poisoning occurred due to taking the drug intentionally to harm oneself. Around 78 percent of them took paracetamol. Out of this percentage, 68 percent had gone to pharmacies and bought paracetamol purposely to commit suicide. The use of drugs - NAC 10ml vials, methionine that are specifically used to treat patients who suffer from paracetamol overdose have significantly gone up in Sri Lanka during past few years. In 2006 the Government spent Rs. 20 million for purchasing NAC and another Rs. six million to purchase Methionine.