Health Canada Issues Acetaminophen Advisory Save
Yesterday Health Canada announced it “is taking additional steps to minimize the risk of liver damage and improve acetaminophen safety,” citing the findings of a government review that underscored the possibility of accidental overdose.
Of the 4 billion doses of acetaminophen sold in Canada each year, there were 4000 hospitalizations for acetaminophen overdose - 20% of these were using doses in excess of 4000 mg per day. A Statistics Canada database recorded 253 accidental deaths and nearly 300 suicides between 2000 and 2009 where acetaminophen was a major or contributing cause of death.
Acetaminophen By the Numbers
4 billion — Number of doses of acetaminophen sold in Canada each year
475 — The number of different acetaminophen products currently authorized for marketing in Canada
4 — Number of grams of acetaminophen in the recommendation maximum daily dose
10 — Number of grams of acetaminophen per day that can lead to liver damage
4,000 — Number of hospitalizations in Canada each year for acetaminophen overdose
20 — Percentage of hospitalizations for acetaminophen overdose due to people exceeding the recommended dose unintentionally
250 — Number of cases of serious liver injury per year in Canada related to acetaminophen
50 — Percentage of cases of serious liver injury associated with unintentional overdoses
Continue Reading
ADD THE FIRST COMMENT
Disclosures
The author has no conflicts of interest to disclose related to this subject
If you are a health practitioner, you may Login/Register to comment.
Due to the nature of these comment forums, only health practitioners are allowed to comment at this time.