HIDDEN DANGER: PEDIATRIC ACETAMINOPHEN OVERDOSE UNINTENTIONAL AND INTENTIONAL EMERGENCIES

On any given shift, you may be in triage when parents bring a toddler to the emergency department worried about an unintentional acetaminophen ingestion. The parents state that the child was found playing with an open acetaminophen container. Chewed pills were seen on the child. Later that evening, a teenager presents with nausea after ingestion of multiple acetaminophen tablets. When the triage nurse gently inquires if anything happened during the day, the teenager admits to a verbal argument with friends. What is your acetaminophen overdose plan of care? Emergency nurses with all levels of experience (novice, competent, and expert) can gain new knowledge from this pediatric acetaminophen overdose article. Evidence-based information obtained will strengthen and update emergency nurses' previous knowledge about the hidden dangers of acetaminophen ingestion to ensure safe patient care. Early recognition of potential acetaminophen overdose situations can lead to prompt treatment to avoid permanent liver damage in children. This article raises awareness for pediatric emergency nurses to promote effective limited health literacy prevention teachings to children and families of all ages regarding the hidden dangers of intentional and unintentional acetaminophen overdose.