PATH 205.3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Focal Neurologic Signs, Poison Control Center, Medical Error
Document Summary
Case study: 23-year-old woman seen in emergency department. Physical examination: alert and oriented, appeared anxious, diaphoretic (sweating heavily, blood pressure 124/68 mm hg; hr 96/minute; rr 22/min; and temperature 98. 5 f, abdomen was soft and non-tender with palpation, no focal neurological deficit, otherwise the examination was unremarkable. Treatment: the patient was given activated charcoal (reduces absorption, treatment with n-acetylcysteine (nac) was begun. Epidemiology: acetaminophen (paracetamol, n-acetyl-p-aminophenol or apap) - over-the-counter preparations alone or in combination with multiple medications, one of the most common agents in overdose reported - american association of poison. Control centers: apap toxicity - most common cause of hepatic failure requiring liver transplantation in the. United states and great britain: mortality/morbidity: the majority of patients with apap overdose survive with supportive care in conjunction with antidotal therapy. If correctly treated in a timely manner, most patients do not suffer significant sequelae.
