title: Acetaminophen levels 4 and 7 hours after 2000 and 3000 mg single doses in healthy adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Therapeutic acetaminophen levels are not achieved at currently recommended doses. The purpose of this study is to determine acetaminophen levels in healthy adults after taking a single dose well in excess of the recommended dose.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 healthy adults received single 2 or 3 gram acetaminophen doses. Serum acetaminophen levels were drawn at 4 and 7 hours after the dose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 2 gram doses (6 subjects) ranged from 23 to 40 mg/kg of body weight. The 3 gram single doses (18 subjects) ranged from 38 to 69 mg/kg of body weight. Mean 4-hour acetaminophen levels for 2 and 3 gram doses were 8.8 (SD 3.6, range 3-13) and 21.8 (SD 6.5, range 6-32) mcg/ml, respectively. Mean 7-hour acetaminophen levels for 2 and 3 gram doses were 1.5 (SD 1.4, range 0-3) and 7.7 (SD 4.6, range 0-17) mcg/ml, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dosing by weight (i.e., mg/kg) appears to provide a more predictable dose-response relationship. Optimal adult dosing appears to be somewhere in the 20 to 30 mg/kg range based on the premise that the 4 hour level is a trough level that should be in the low therapeutic range.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John. A. Burns School of Medicine, 1319 Punahou Street, 7th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96826, USA.
authors.forename: Shawn M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sumida
authors.forename: Renee L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Loren G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001682:Biological Availability; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000082:Acetaminophen