Is paracetamol really safe?
Paracetamol ( called Acetaminophen- in the USA) is the most common medicine for fever or pain used in worldwide. Almost every household has it and almost everyone would have taken it at some point of their life . It is being so commonly used that people take it for granted that it is always safe & they sometimes give indiscriminately. But remember that Paracetamol is dangerous when given wrongly .Paracetamol poisoning remains the most common cause of accidental & suicidal poisoning . It is the most common cause of acute liver failure the USA & the UK . Paracetamol-induced liver disease among children is common in India also according to a recent study . After over dose , parents or caregivers may not suspect it all as the child appears normal in the first few hours. The initial symptoms of paracetamol poisoning are nausea , vomiting ,sweating & then pain right upper abdomen. Late symptoms are drowsiness, unresponsiveness, jaundice, bleeding and finally it may res
