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Acetaminophen overdose: analysis of 2018 US nationwide emergency database
Faria Sami1, Sarah Berg2, Augustine M Manadan3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Cook County Health, 1950 West Polk Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA. faria.sami@cookcountyhealth.org.
This study identified new risk factors for acetaminophen overdose, including cannabis use and hematologic/oncologic diagnoses. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into these emerging risks.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Acetaminophen overdose is a significant public health concern.
- Known risk factors include alcohol, opioid use, and mood disorders.
- The need to identify additional risk factors for acetaminophen overdose is critical.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess additional risk factors for acetaminophen overdose.
- To evaluate associations between various comorbidities and acetaminophen overdose in the emergency department (ED) setting.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study utilizing the 2018 US Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS).
- Inclusion of adult ED visits for acetaminophen overdose as the study group.
- Multivariable logistic regression analysis performed using STATA 16.1.
Main Results:
- Identified 27,792 ED visits for acetaminophen overdose.
- Associated factors included younger age, female sex, higher ED charges, alcohol-related disorders, anxiety disorders, cannabis use, hematology/oncology diagnoses, mood disorders, opioid-related disorders, and suicide attempt/ideation.
- Significant adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) were found for mood disorders (10.07), alcohol-related disorders (2.67), and cannabis use (1.63).
Conclusions:
- Cannabis use and hematologic/oncologic comorbidities are newly identified risk factors for acetaminophen overdose.
- Findings are concerning due to increasing cannabis legalization and cancer incidence.
- Further investigation by clinicians, policymakers, and researchers is prioritized.
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