So let's assume you happened to be around when someone you know or don't even know overdosed (OD'd) on paracetamol . What will you do? During those precious hours before a doctor arrives, what must you do or what actions must you take to ensure that the doctor meets the person alive?


Keep reading...


The outcome, whether favorable or fatal, of any case of paractemol overdose or toxicity is largely dependent on what was done to neutralize it, especially during the early hours of the overdose. So it is extremely important to know exactly what to do in such instances so that the life of whoever it is that OD'd can be saved.


Below of are 5 simple but extremely important and life-saving actions one can take in saving the life of anyone who OD's on paracetamol:

#1. Calm and reassure the patient:
So you don't want the patient panicking and all scared out of their socks. Not at all. A panic-striken patient will be stubbornly uncooperative and this can defeat the entire purpose of you trying to help.

#2. Ascertain the time of ingestion:
This is an extremely vital information to know and you can find out by asking the patient or those around the patient who may have an accurate knowledge of what happened. That way you can establish how much time has passed since the ingestion. But really, why is this piece of information important? It is important because the longer the toxic metabolite (N-acetyl p-hydrobenzoquinone imine) stays in the body, the more severe the outcome. And this is one information that Doctors will demand for once they take over the patient- it gives them an idea of how aggressive their treatments should be.

#3. Lie the patient on his or her side:
Very often, the patient is vomiting and is extremely weak and unable to stand or sit. For such a patient, you must have them lay on their side so that they don't aspirate their vomit (which can kill them quicker even before the paracetamol itself).

#4. Ensure your safety and that of the patient:
If the person is actually suicidal patient and still conscious when you are trying to help them, they can become very violent towards themselves or you for attempting to stop them from achieving their suicidal goal. For these category of people, you must get reinforcement and have them restrained until a doctor gets to the scene or the patient is taken to the hospital.

#5. Rush the patient to the hospital:
This is the koko of this article. It is the most important action that may eventually save the patient's life. How? Because the antidote for paracetamol poisoning, N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), is not sold on the streets like snacks or even as paracetamol which can easily be found in almost any aboki kiosk. NAC is found, primarily, in health centers. So take the patient to the hospital. That's where he or she has the greatest chance of survival assuming the overdose was really very severe.


Also read:
PARACETAMOL OVERDOSE: 6 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS YOU MUST NEVER IGORE!: https://doctorshub.com.ng/2017/06/22/paracetamol-overdose-6-signs-and-symptoms-you-must-ignore/


Source: DOCTORSHUB NIGERIA




https://doctorshub.com.ng/2017/06/22/5-things-to-do-when-a-person-overdoses-on-paracetamol/