Epidemiology of acetaminophen toxicity

Acetaminophen is a widely used non-prescription medication and a frequent toxicant with disproportionate morbidity and mortality. Acetaminophen exposures represent nearly 6% of human exposure calls to America's Poison Centers' National Poison Data System (NPDS) and account for nearly 20% of poisoning deaths. Federal government databases including the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NIESS), the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, and the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System present further insights on the magnitude of the problem. Hepatologists contributing clinical data to the Acute Liver Failure Study Group (AFLSG) registry focus only on cases of acute liver failure (ALF). Studies from the AFLSG implicate acetaminophen as the leading cause of acute liver failure in the US. Each registry and database has strengths and limitations. Combining these differing data sets offers a more complete view of the problem. Efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality have had partial success.