Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Poisoning (cont.)

Medical Author:

Michael J Ameres, MD

Coauthor:

Daniel Crough, MD

Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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When to Seek Medical Care

A person or caregiver must call a doctor, poison control center, or emergency medical services for any suspected acetaminophen overdose.

Overall it is important that anyone suspected to have taken an overdose of acetaminophen get treatment early, before symptoms occur. Starting treatment early can greatly improve the outcome.

Seek emergency medical care at a hospital's emergency department in the following situations.

• If the person suspected to have taken an overdose of acetaminophen is unconscious, semiconscious, or not breathing, call 911 immediately.
• Go to the hospital's emergency department if the poison control center instructs you to do so.
• Seek emergency care if you are unsure of the types and amounts of medication taken.
• If a child took acetaminophen without adult supervision and may have taken an overdose, seek immediate medical attention.