A neighbour knocks on your door at home one evening. She is holding her two-year-old child in her arms and is extremely distressed. She manages to tell you that while she was preparing dinner, the...

A neighbour knocks on your door at home one evening. She is holding her two-year-old child in her arms and is extremely distressed. She manages to tell you that while she was preparing dinner, the child opened a cupboard and ate a number of paracetamol tablets. She isn’t too sure how many tablets the child has ingested, but estimates that it would be at least two. When asked, your neighbour says that the child weighs 12 kg. The child is conscious, pale and sweating. You invite them into your home and call an ambulance. While you are on the telephone, the child vomits. As you wait for the ambulance, you comfort both mother and child and take some observations of the child’s condition.

Questions

1 Is this dose of paracetamol harmful to the child? Why?

2 What information can you refer to check whether the amount of paracetamol taken was toxic to this child?

3 Would you try to induce emesis before the ambulance arrives? Give your rationale for this decision.

4 Outline the treatment that will be followed when the child arrives at the hospital.