Haemoperfusion in 'late' paracetamol poisoning.

1 Seven patients who presented to hospital later than 10 hours following an overdose of paracetamol were treated by charcoal haemoperfusion. 2 In all cases there was a rapid fall in the plasma paracetamol concentrations, although the total amounts of drug removed varied from 364.5 mg to 6699 mg. 3 One patient developed fulminant hepatic failure and died; the remainder recovered, sustaining only mild hepatic damage (maximum AST less than 1000 iu1(-1)). 4 Charcoal haemoperfusion may be effective in mitigating the severity of liver injury in those patients who are not eligible to receive specific antidotal therapy.