Acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) is commonly used to treat acute pain such as headaches and toothaches. The popularity of such over-the-counter non-steroidal pain relievers is evident, with approximately 60% of Americans taking one of these pills. For the last 6 months.
However, unlike prescription drugs, which typically come with a personalized plan and dosage summary from a GP, over-the-counter (OTC) treatments do not have such specific guidelines, thus reducing the risk of misuse and adverse events. more likely.
In fact, acetaminophen overdose is now the leading cause of liver failure in the country. In addition, up to two-thirds of overdoses leading to liver failure have been reported to be accidental, and there is a lack of understanding of dose limits and the OTCs do not allow these drugs to do so. This suggests that there is a lack of recognition that it means that there is no significant risk.
Researchers at the San Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP) and San Carlos Institute of Chemistry (IQSC-USP) at the University of São Paulo have recognized the need for real-time monitoring of drugs to prevent worsening health conditions, and developed an accurate method. A device that allows real-time monitoring of acetaminophen levels in saliva samples.
A small handheld device uses a low-cost sensor priced at US$0.02 to generate an electrical current through oxidation of the drug’s active ingredient. This reading can tell patients if their acetaminophen levels have risen to risky levels or if their dosage needs to be increased. Monitors help patients and physicians better read their own biology, maximizing efficacy while reducing risk.
“This protocol shows promise for observing and correcting for variations in paracetamol absorption. [acetaminophen] and drug response,” said Paulo Augusto Raymundo Pereira, the last author of this article and an IFSC-USP investigator. “Inaccurate dosing can have detrimental effects on the patient as well as the treatment.”
Researchers chose saliva because of its non-invasive nature and ease of collection and analysis. They plan to create a prototype featuring the conductive carbon paste and trial it in a larger cohort with a view to commercial deployment if successful.
“Our findings show great potential for a simple strategy,” Pereira said. “Low-cost electrochemical devices offer rapid response, potential miniaturization, portability, simplicity, ease of use, versatility, relatively low instrumentation costs, and in-situ real-time analysis.”
Acetaminophen overdoses kill more than 450 people a year in the United States and cause 56,000 hospitalizations due to accidental misuse. With over 60 million Americans turning to these OTC pain relievers each week, inexpensive home monitors have the potential to save lives.
“Additionally, our methodology also helps reduce water pollution,” said Natalia Oesau-Gomez, a chemist and study co-author. “Pills are often thrown in the garbage, and some of the paracetamol ingested is not metabolized and is excreted in the urine. Wastewater treatment plants are not 100% efficient at removing pharmaceuticals from her.”
The study was published in a journal Small: nanomicro.
Source: FAPESP
