N-acetylcysteine overdose after acetaminophen poisoning

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is used widely and effectively in oral and intravenous forms as a specific antidote for acetaminophen poisoning. Here we report a rare case of iatrogenic NAC overdose following an error in preparation of the solution, and describe its clinical symptoms. Laboratory results and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International medical case reports journal 2015-01, Vol.8 (default), p.65-69
Main Authors: Mahmoudi, Ghafar Ali, Astaraki, Peyman, Mohtashami, Azita Zafar, Ahadi, Maryam
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analgesics
Care and treatment
Case Report
Case reports
Case studies
Complications and side effects
Dehydrogenases
Development and progression
Drug dosages
Drug overdose
Drug toxicity
Dyspnea
Edema
Emergency medical care
Hemoglobin
Liver
Medicine
Overdose
Patients
Phosphatase
Poisoning
Urine
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Summary:N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is used widely and effectively in oral and intravenous forms as a specific antidote for acetaminophen poisoning. Here we report a rare case of iatrogenic NAC overdose following an error in preparation of the solution, and describe its clinical symptoms. Laboratory results and are presented and examined. A 23-year-old alert female patient weighing 65 kg presented to the emergency ward with weakness, lethargy, extreme fatigue, nausea, and dizziness. She had normal arterial blood gas and vital signs. An excessive dosage of NAC over a short period of time can lead to hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure in patients with normal glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and finally to death. Considering the similarity between some of the clinical symptoms of acetaminophen overdose and NAC overdose, it is vitally important for the administration phases and checking of the patient's symptoms to be carried out attentively and cautiously.
ISSN:1179-142X
1179-142X
DOI:10.2147/IMCRJ.S74563