Frequency of renal impairment in paracetamol overdose compared with other causes of acute liver damage.

In an analysis of 160 patients with fulminant hepatic failure, the frequency of renal failure in the patiens who had taken an overdose of paracetamol was not significantly higher than in those with hepatic failure due to other causes. The same was found in another group of patients with less severe hepatic damage. In both the latter group and the patients with fulminant hepatic failure, the development of renal failure was closely related to the occurrence of endotoxaemia as detected by the Limulus lysate assay. These findings do not support the concept that an overdose of paracetamol has a specific nephrotoxic effect.