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- Angela L Chiew1,2
- David Reith3
- Adam Pomerleau3
- Anselm Wong4,5
- Katherine Z Isoardi6,7
- Jessamine Soderstrom8,9
- Nicholas A Buckley2,10
- 1 Prince of Wales Hospital and Community Health Services, Sydney, NSW
- 2 NSW Poisons Information Centre, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW
- 3 University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- 4 Victorian Poisons Information Centre, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
- 5 Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
- 6 Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
- 7 Queensland Poisons Information Centre, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
- 8 Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA
- 9 Western Australia Poisons Information Centre, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA
- 10 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
Angela Chiew receives funding from a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (ID 1159907).
Angela Chiew, Katherine Isoardi, Jessamine Soderstrom and Nicholas Buckley were involved in the 2019 Australian Therapeutic Guidelines — Toxicology and Toxinology Guidelines Writing Group and received travel and meeting expenses. Jessamine Soderstrom receives royalties from the Toxicology handbook from Elselvier. David Reith chairs the Medicines Adverse Reactions Committee for Medsafe.
Abstract
Introduction: Paracetamol is a common agent taken in deliberate self‐poisoning and in accidental overdose in adults and children. Paracetamol poisoning is the commonest cause of severe acute liver injury. Since the publication of the previous guidelines in 2015, several studies have changed practice. A working group of experts in the area, with representation from all Poisons Information Centres of Australia and New Zealand, were brought together to produce an updated evidence‐based guidance.
Main recommendations (unchanged from previous guidelines):
Major changes in management in the guidelines: