Acetaminophen exposure alone resulted in 65 deaths, and acetaminophen combinations resulted in 42 deaths. The 2014 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System noted 50,396 single exposures to acetaminophen alone and 22,951 single exposures to acetaminophen in combination with other drugs. Additionally, with extended-release pills, acetaminophen remains in the body for a longer period of time. These include sleeping pills and medications for the common cold, flu, and allergies.

Accidental overdose may occur when a person takes too much acetaminophen because the pain or fever does not diminish after the recommended dose, or when a person takes too many different medications containing acetaminophen. 1 For most people, it is safe to take 4,000 mg (4 g) of acetaminophen within a 24-hour period.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers calls acetaminophen one of the most common pharmaceuticals associated with both intentional and unintentional poisoning and toxicity. 1Īcetaminophen overdose is also known as acetaminophen poisoning. In the United States, acetaminophen toxicity is the most common cause of acute liver failure and the second most common cause of liver failure requiring transplantation.

This is because acetaminophen is metabolized in the liver. If used in proper therapeutic doses, acetaminophen has an excellent safety profile however, its major side effect is hepatotoxicity, which can occur after overdose or misuse. Unlike typical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen has only a minor effect on tissue cyclooxygenase activity and appears to produce analgesia by increasing pain thresholds, perhaps through inhibition of the nitric oxide pathway that is activated by many pain neurotransmitter receptors. Acetaminophen (known as paracetamol in Europe) is one of the most commonly used oral medications for pain and fever reduction.

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