PANADOL ORIGINAL Tablet Ref.[9899] Active ingredients: Paracetamol

Adults, the elderly, and children aged 16 years and over:

One or two tablets up to four times daily as required.

Children:

Aged 10-15 years: One tablet up to four times daily as required.

Not suitable for children under 10 years of age. Children should not be given Panadol Original Tablets for more than 3 days without consulting a doctor.

These doses should not be repeated more frequently than every four hours nor should more than four doses be given in any 24 hour period.

Oral administration only.

Paracetamol overdose may cause liver failure which may require liver transplant or lead to death.

Liver damage is possible in adults who have taken 10g or more of paracetamol. Ingestion of 5g or more of paracetamol may lead to liver damage if the patient has risk factors (see below).

Risk factors

If the patient

a, Is on long term treatment with carbamazepine, phenobarbitone, phenytoin, primidone, rifampicin, St John’s Wort or other drugs that induce liver enzymes.

Or b, Regularly consumes ethanol in excess of recommended amounts.

Or c, Is likely to be glutathione deplete e.g. eating disorders, cystic fibrosis, HIV infection, starvation, cachexia.

Symptoms

Symptoms of paracetamol overdosage in the first 24 hours are pallor, nausea, vomiting, anorexia and abdominal pain. Liver damage may become apparent 12 to 48 hours after ingestion. Abnormalities of glucose metabolism and metabolic acidosis may occur. In severe poisoning, hepatic failure may progress to encephalopathy, haemorrhage, hypoglycaemia, cerebral oedema, and death. Acute renal failure with acute tubular necrosis, strongly suggested by loin pain, haematuria and proteinuria, may develop even in the absence of severe liver damage. Cardiac arrhythmias and pancreatitis have been reported.

Management

Immediate treatment is essential in the management of paracetamol overdose. Despite a lack of significant early symptoms, patients should be referred to hospital urgently for immediate medical attention. Symptoms may be limited to nausea or vomiting and may not reflect the severity of overdose or the risk of organ damage. Management should be in accordance with established treatment guidelines, see BNF overdose section.

Treatment with activated charcoal should be considered if the overdose has been taken within 1 hour. Plasma paracetamol concentration should be measured at 4 hours or later after ingestion (earlier concentrations are unreliable). Treatment with N-acetylcysteine may be used up to 24 hours after ingestion of paracetamol, however, the maximum protective effect is obtained up to 8 hours post-ingestion. The effectiveness of the antidote declines sharply after this time. If required the patient should be given intravenous N-acetylcysteine, in line with the established dosage schedule. If vomiting is not a problem, oral methionine may be a suitable alternative for remote areas, outside hospital. Management of patients who present with serious hepatic dysfunction beyond 24h from ingestion should be discussed with the NPIS or a liver unit.

48 months.

None.

The tablets are packed into either:

PVC (250μm or 300μm)/aluminium foil 30μm blister strips

or

PVC (250μm or 300μm)/aluminium foil 20μm/8μm PET blister strips in an outer cardboard cartons, containing 4, 6, 8, 12 or 16 tablets, or in a cardboard/PVC wallet containing 16 tablets.

Not applicable.