Toxic dose

In acute paracetamol poisoning, the toxic dose is 10 g (or 200 mg/kg in patients under 50 kg) or more. Patients who take more than 30 g (500 mg/kg in patients under 60 kg) are at increased risk of acute liver injury1, even if treatment with acetylcysteine starts within 8 hours of paracetamol ingestion.

1 Liver injury has various definitions; the Toxicology and Toxinology Expert Group uses a definition of a serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration of 50 U/L or higher.Return