Background and objective: Rumack's nomogram is usually used to indicate the treatment with N-acetilcysteine in the paracetamol poisoning, but it has several limitations. Paracetamol half-life elimination (t1/2) is approximately of 2 h with therapeutic doses and it increases to more than 4 h in patients with hepatotoxicity. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of estimated paracetamol t1/2 as greater than or inferior to 4 h by using a simple ratio in relation to the development of hepatotoxicity.
Patients and method: 21 patients with paracetamol overdose were admitted to Son Dureta Hospital (Palma de Mallorca) and Clínic Hospital (Barcelona) over 13 months. The estimated t1/2 is calculated using the quotient between 2 plasma paracetamol concentrations separated by 2 or more hours.
Results: We found a significant difference (p < 0.005) between the group with hepatotoxicity (n = 3; t1/2 = 8,5 h; range: 3,6 - 8,7 h); and without hepatotoxicity (n = 18; t1/2 = 2,4 h; (range: 1,6 - 4,3 h). We observed an agreement between positive ratio and a t1/2 > 4 h, and negative ratio with t1/2 < 4 h, bearing in mind that the quotient is obtained through mathematical equations.
Conclusions: Rumack's nomogram should be complemented with t1/2 estimation in all cases of paracetamol poisoning, especially with those patients for whom we are not able to determine the time of ingestion at presentation or if there has been a multiple-timepoint ingestion.