[Acetaminophen: Knowledge, use and overdose risk in urban patients consulting their general practitioner. A prospective, descriptive and transversal study].
BACKGROUND
Acetaminophen is the most involved active substance in both unintentional and intentional drug poisoning. However, its availability outside community pharmacies is being debated in France.


METHODS
We made, via a self-administered questionnaire, a prospective assessment of knowledge, use and acetaminophen overdose risk in patients consulting their general practitioner, in the Metz Métropole urban area, between May 2015 and February 2016. We estimated the prevalence of potential unintentional overdosage by capture-recapture method.


RESULTS
Among 819 responding patients, only 17.9 % had a sufficient knowledge and 20.3 % were at risk for potential unintentional overdose. The risk was higher for patients aged over 55 years or belonging to socioprofessional categories of laborers and inactive. A good knowledge score was a protective factor for overdose risk (P<0.0001). The liver toxicity of acetaminophen was particularly unknown. The prevalence of potential unintentional acetaminophen overdose was estimated at 1 to2 % of the population.


CONCLUSIONS
Proposing acetaminophen outside of pharmacies cannot be recommended in France in such conditions. Information campaigns are needed to limit the risk of unintentional overdose and its consequences on liver toxicity.
Département de médecine générale, faculté de médecine de Nancy, 54035 Nancy, France.
Lauriane
L
Cipolat
Service des urgences, centre hospitalier de Remiremont, 88200 Remiremont, France.
Ouriel
O
Loeb
Direction de la qualité, CHRU de Nancy, 54035 Nancy, France.
Clotilde
C
Latarche
Laboratoire de pharmacologie clinique et toxicologie, centre régional de pharmacovigilance de Lorraine, hôpital Central, CHRU de Nancy, 29, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, CO 60034, 54035 Nancy, France.
Elise
E
Pape
Laboratoire de pharmacologie clinique et toxicologie, centre régional de pharmacovigilance de Lorraine, hôpital Central, CHRU de Nancy, 29, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, CO 60034, 54035 Nancy, France. Electronic address: Pierre.Gillet@univ-lorraine.fr.
Pierre
P
Gillet
Laboratoire de pharmacologie clinique et toxicologie, centre régional de pharmacovigilance de Lorraine, hôpital Central, CHRU de Nancy, 29, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, CO 60034, 54035 Nancy, France.
Nadine
N
Petitpain
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000076064:Drug Misuse; D062787:Drug Overdose; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D058005:General Practitioners; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000082:Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen; Acute liver failure; Connaissance; Drug overdose; Knowledge; Paracétamol; Patients; Surdosage médicamenteux; Toxicité hépatique