Paeds Cases · acute-care-resuscitation-and-toxicology
Plot the level, respect the time — paediatric paracetamol poisoning
A bedside structured clinical encounter testing recognition of a significant paracetamol ingestion, taking a precise ingestion history, applying the Rumack-Matthew nomogram at four hours, giving activated charcoal early, starting intravenous N-acetylcysteine on or above the treatment line, managing an anaphylactoid reaction, tracking the ALT and INR trend, and escalating when King's College criteria appear.
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This is one MedVellum formative structured clinical encounter. The scoring, prompts and performance descriptions are educational feedback tools. They are not an official college station, timing, mark allocation, pass score or reproduced examination format. The encounter assesses first-impression recognition, taking a precise ingestion history, applying the Rumack-Matthew nomogram at four hours, giving activated charcoal early, starting intravenous N-acetylcysteine on or above the treatment line, managing an anaphylactoid reaction, tracking the ALT and INR trend, communication, escalation, and a structured handover. [1] [11]
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- [1]Rumack BH Acetaminophen hepatotoxicity: the first 35 years Journal of toxicology. Clinical toxicology, 2002.PMID 11990202
- [4]Sivilotti MLA, Yarema MC, Juurlink DN Treating acetaminophen overdose CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2022.PMID 35440504
- [9]Daoud A, Dalhoff KP, Christensen MB, et al. Two-bag intravenous N-acetylcysteine, antihistamine pretreatment and high plasma paracetamol levels are associated with a lower incidence of anaphylactoid reactions to N-acetylcysteine Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2020.PMID 31601129
- [10]Harrison PM, O'Grady JG, Keays RT, et al. Serial prothrombin time as prognostic indicator in paracetamol induced fulminant hepatic failure BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 1990.PMID 2249026
- [11]Karabacak B, Özaydın E Clinical characteristics and outcomes of pediatric paracetamol poisoning presenting to the emergency department BMC pediatrics, 2026.PMID 41998668