Significantly raised alanine aminotransferase level following single dose of intravenous paracetamol in a healthy patient

• Main Authors: Rashid M Khan, Sujit Nair, Adil Sulaiman Al-Kharusi, Haris Aziz, Naresh Kaul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Pain
• Subjects: Alanine N-acetylcysteine; hepatic toxicity; paracetamol
• Online Access: http://www.indianjpain.org/article.asp?issn=0970-5333;year=2015;volume=29;issue=1;spage=52;epage=54;aulast=Khan
• ISSN: 0970-5333

A 12-year-old ASA I female patient underwent correction of posterior scoliosis of dorsolumbar spine under total intravenous anesthesia using a combination of remifentanil and propofol. Induced hypotension was maintained between 55 and 65 mmHg. Intraoperatively, patient received a single injection of 1.0 g paracetamol. Surgery lasted 6 h and 40 min and was essentially uneventful. A follow-up investigation in the intensive care unit 6 h after the surgery revealed alanine transaminase levels of 547 I/U. This increased to 924 I/U on the 2 nd postoperative day after the patient received 500 mg per-rectal paracetamol. Stopping administration of paracetamol restored alanine transaminase level to normal without needing N-acetylcysteine.