Articles: acetaminophen.
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Two million new users will abuse prescription narcotics this year, most commonly hydrocodone. The most commonly prescribed form is hydrocodone-acetaminophen (HA). Many individuals crush the tablets and snort the product to take advantage of the rapid transmucosal delivery of narcotics. The resultant pathology of intranasal hydrocodone acetaminophen abuse (INHAA) has been described only in a few case studies. ⋯ The vast majority of cases presented with characteristic physical findings that included acute necrosis of soft tissue, which can progress to destroy oronasal structures. In the absence of invasive fungal disease, the condition is self-limited after cessation of INHAA and performance of local nasal debridement and nasal hygiene.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Treatment satisfaction after switching to another therapy in Spanish orthopaedic clinic outpatients with knee or hip osteoarthritis previously refractory to paracetamol.
Hip and knee osteoarthritis is highly prevalent in the elderly, and the incidence is estimated to increase in the coming decades. Prior to surgery, symptomatic treatment, starting with non-pharmacological therapies, should be prescribed. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is the recommended first pharmacological treatment for osteoarthritis. If paracetamol is ineffective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment is indicated. The superiority of NSAIDs over paracetamol has been demonstrated in several studies. Furthermore, the assessment of patient satisfaction could be an adequate indicator of the quality of care given and is likely related to the evolution of the condition and the therapeutic regimen. The objective of this study was to assess the satisfaction of patients diagnosed with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis who had been previously treated with paracetamol and switched to NSAID treatment due to a lack of effectiveness by paracetamol. ⋯ NSAIDs relieve pain due to OA in paracetamol-resistant patients and improve treatment effectiveness and patient satisfaction with treatment. Furthermore, paracetamol-refractory subjects under conventional medical treatment with NSAIDs experienced the drug as more effective and also tended to be more satisfied with treatment than those treated with non-NSAIDs.
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Pregnancy affects intravenous paracetamol pharmacokinetics, but there are no studies on covariates of intravenous paracetamol pharmacokinetics around delivery. ⋯ Women who underwent a preterm caesarean delivery had a higher paracetamol clearance compared with term delivery. These pharmacokinetic differences illustrate the relevance of performing pharmacokinetic studies at delivery. We encourage clinicians to perform similar studies for other drugs administered in this group.
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Acetaminophen poisoning remains one of the more common drugs taken in overdose with potentially fatal consequences. Early recognition and prompt treatment with N-acetylcysteine can prevent hepatic injury. With acute overdose, the Rumack-Matthew nomogram is a useful tool to assess risk and guide management. ⋯ Simultaneous ingestion of several different acetaminophen-containing products may result in excessive dosage. These patients also benefit from N-acetylcysteine. Standard courses of N-acetylcysteine may need to be extended in patients with persistently elevated plasma concentrations of acetaminophen or with signs of hepatic injury.