Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Paracetamol orodispersible tablets: a risk for severe poisoning in children?

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Childhood paracetamol (acetaminophen) ingestion with subsequent risk of hepatotoxicity is a major medical problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of high-dose ingestion of orodispersible, fast-disintegrating paracetamol tablets in children.

Methods

A retrospective single-center case study of all accidental selfadministrations of solid or orodispersible 500-mg paracetamol tablets occurring in children ≤ 6 years, reported to the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre between June 2003 and August 2009.

Results

We found 187 cases with ingestion of solid 500-mg paracetamol tablets and 16 cases with ingestion of orodispersible 500-mg tablets. The mean ingested dose in the orodispersible-tablet group was 59% higher than in the solid-tablet group (p = 0.085). Administration of activated charcoal and/or N-acetylcysteine because of ingestion of a potentially hepatotoxic paracetamol dose ( ≥ 150 mg/kg body weight) was recommended in 32 patients (17.1%) in the solid-tablet group and in five (31%) in the orodispersible-tablet group.

Conclusions

Orodispersible paracetamol formulations may represent an important risk factor for severe paracetamol poisoning in children. Over-the-counter availability may contribute to increasing the use of this galenic formulation and eventually the number of poisonings in children.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Chien C, Marriott JL, Ashby K, Ozanne-Smith J (2003) Unintentional ingestion of over the counter medications in children less than 5 years old. J Paediatr Child Health 39:264–269

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Assargard U, Sjöberg G (1995) The successful introduction of child resistant closures for liquid paracetamol preparations. Saf Sci 21:87–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Liechti ME, Kupferschmidt H (2004) Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL): analysis of overdose cases reported to the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre. Swiss Med Wkly 134:534–537

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Lam HS, Chow CM, Poon WT, Lai CK, Chan KC, Yeung WL, Hui J, Chan AY, Ng PC (2006) Risk of vitamin A toxicity from candy-like chewable vitamin supplements for children. Pediatrics 118:820–824

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported entirely by the internal resources of the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre

Conflict of interest

None

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Science, Swiss Toxicological Information Centre, Freiestrasse 16, CH-8032, Zurich, Switzerland

    Alessandro Ceschi & Katharina E. Hofer

  2. Swiss Toxicological Information Centre, Freiestrasse 16, CH-8032, Zurich, Switzerland

    Christine Rauber-Lüthy & Hugo Kupferschmidt

Authors
  1. Alessandro Ceschi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Katharina E. Hofer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christine Rauber-Lüthy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hugo Kupferschmidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandro Ceschi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ceschi, A., Hofer, K.E., Rauber-Lüthy, C. et al. Paracetamol orodispersible tablets: a risk for severe poisoning in children?. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 67, 97–99 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-010-0943-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-010-0943-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation