ORIGINAL PAPER
Acetaminophen poisonings hospitalized at the Pomeranian Center of Toxicology in 2010−2015
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1
Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny / Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
(Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu z Oddziałem Pielęgniarstwa i Instytutem Medycyny Morskiej i Tropikalnej / Faculty of Health Sciences
with Subfaculty of Nursing and Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine)
2
Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny / Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
(Zakład Toksykologii Klinicznej / Department of Clinical Toxicology)
3
Pomorskie Centrum Toksykologii / Pomeranian Center of Toxicology, Gdańsk, Poland
Online publication date: 2019-09-19
Corresponding author
Marek Wiśniewski
Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny,
Zakład Toksykologii Klinicznej, ul. Kartuska 4/6, 80-104 Gdańsk
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2019;70(6):733-8
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ABSTRACT
Background: Acetaminophen is a widely available analgesic and antipyretic medication. Although it is advertised as safe, it is responsible
for more than 50% of drug-induced hepatotoxicity cases and the most common cause of acute liver failure in developed
countries. Until 2000 the frequency of acetaminophen overdoses in Poland was relatively low, but a significant increase has been
seen in recent years. The aim of the study was to perform a demographic analysis of the acetaminophen overdose cases hospitalized
at the Pomeranian Center of Toxicology (PCT) in Gdańsk, Poland, in 2010–2015. Material and Methods: The Pomeranian Center
of Toxicology in Gdańsk is the Regional Clinical Toxicology Center for a population of more than 3.5 million people from the
Pomeranian and the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships. All the patients hospitalized at PCT in 2010–2015 were analyzed. Cases in
which the primary or secondary diagnosis was encoded as T39.1, according to the International Classification of Diseases ICD-10,
were selected. Statistical analysis was performed using the χ2 and McNemara tests. Results: In the reference period, 7754 poisoned
patients were hospitalized, including 4163 men and 3591 women. There were 667 cases of acetaminophen overdose (231 men
and 436 women). There was a significant increase in the percentage of acetaminophen overdoses in 2010–2015 (6.5% and 10.8%,
p < 0.01). In the group aged < 18 years, there were 217 cases of acetaminophen overdose (37 men and 180 women). The share or
acetaminophen overdose cases in this group (17.2%) was significantly higher than among patients aged ≥ 18 years (6.9%, p < 0.01).
The male to female ratio in the group aged ≥ 18 years was 0.75, and in the group aged < 18 years it was 0.21 (p < 0.01). Conclusions: There was a significant increase in the number of acetaminophen overdose cases hospitalized at the Pomeranian Center of Toxicology
in 2010–2015. The share of acetaminophen overdoses was significantly higher in the group aged < 18 years than in the adult group.
In both age groups, acetaminophen overdose was more frequent in women. Med Pr. 2019;70(6):733–8