Easy-to-Use Rapid Assay Identifies Paracetamol Overdose

An easy-to-use and effective low-cost method identifies paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose in 10 minutes.

Paracetamol is a common drug used in many formulations due to its analgesic and antipyretic properties and chronic excessive use of acetaminophen can result in hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Severe hepatic damage can, if left untreated, lead to hepatic failure.

The Roche (Basel, Switzerland) paracetamol assay provides rapid and accurate quantitative determination of the drug in human serum or plasma, allowing clinicians to instigate therapy at the earliest, potentially life-saving, opportunity. Early diagnosis of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity is vitally important--studies have shown that initiation of therapy within 16 hours of ingestion lessens the potential for hepatic injury and decreases the mortality rate.

The assay is easily incorporated onto a Roche platform, which combined with ready-to-use reagents, ensures time and labor savings. Additionally, the 2-shot assay has no interference with the paracetamol antidote N-acetylcysteine, making it extremely reliable for consistent patient follow-up.

Other benefits of the Roche assay include: good inter- and intra-assay precision for safe and reliable results and consistency in patient follow-up; superior on-board stability for optimal reagent efficiency (even at only one sample per day); calibration curve stability; high sensitivity and precision.

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