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A review of the hepatotoxicity of paracetamol at therapeutic or near‐therapeutic dose levels, with particular reference to alcohol abusers
Author(s) -
Collins Catherine,
Starmer Graham A.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1080/09595239500185071
Subject(s) - therapeutic effect , medicine , therapeutic index , pharmacology , therapeutic approach , ingestion , drug , disease
The number of published reports associating hepatotoxicity with paracetamol ingestion at therapeutic or near‐therapeutic dose levels is small but is, nevertheless, suggestive of a relationship. There is however, mounting evidence that certain groups of patients, such as alcohol‐dependent people, patients receiving enzyme‐inducing drugs (particularly anti‐convulsant and anti‐tuberculosis medications) as well as those with certain infectious diseases, are rendered more susceptible to paracetamol‐induced hepatotoxicity. Seventy‐four case reports where therapeutic or near‐therapeutic doses of paracetamol resulted in hepatic injury are reviewed and factors and mechanisms which might explain this apparently increased vulnerability to damage are discussed.