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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Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Poisoning Prognosis

The outcome for someone who has an acetaminophen overdose depends largely on three factors:

1. the amount of acetaminophen ingested,
2. the timing of emergency treatment, and
3. the initial general health of the person.

If a toxic dose is taken and emergency treatment is delayed, liver failure may follow. Liver failure may mean that a liver transplant is needed. Alternatively, if treatment of a toxic overdose is begun early, the person may recover with no long-term health problems.