Current issues with paracetamol induced toxicity

Abstract

Paracetamol (acetaminophen; APAP), a commonly-used analgesic and anti-pyretic drug, is usually safe when administered at therapeutic doses in children. However, at overdoses, APAP has the potential for causing fulminant hepatic necrosis and nephrotoxicity in both humans and animals. In pre-school children, many poisonings are due to chemical or pharmaceutical preparations like APAP which is an important example for poisoning with pharmaceutics. Liver has an important role in the metabolism of toxic chemicals, certain drugs and environmental pollutants. Using the cytochrome P450 pathway, APAP is converted to a highly toxic metabolite, namely N–acetyl–p–benzoquinamine (NAPQI). By this way, ...