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Paracetamol overdose causing acute kidney injury without hepatotoxicity: a case report
1Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 50, boîte B1.50.04, Brussels, 1200, Belgium. micha.saad@student.uclouvain.be.
Background:
Paracetamol is a widely used analgesic and antipyretic. Paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity is well known, but nephrotoxicity without hepatotoxicity is rarely seen.
Case Presentation:
We present a case of acute kidney injury without hepatotoxicity in paracetamol overdose. A 15-year-old girl was admitted 48 h after she had taken 10 g of paracetamol. She was complaining of abdominal pain and vomiting. Her blood level of creatinine was 1.20 mg/dL on admission, with a peak at 3.67 mg/dL 3 days later. The liver blood tests and blood paracetamol level were negative. She did not receive N-acetyl cysteine and was treated with intravenous fluid (crystalloid). The ultrasonography of the kidneys was normal. Her renal function returned almost to baseline 7 days after admission. It was concluded that the diagnosis was an acute kidney injury caused by acute tubular necrosis due to paracetamol overdose.
Conclusion:
This case shows that nephrotoxicity can occur without hepatotoxicity in paracetamol overdose.
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