PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Appelboam, A V
AU  - Dargan, P I
AU  - Knighton, J
TI  - Fatal anaphylactoid reaction to N-acetylcysteine: caution in patients with asthma
AID  - 10.1136/emj.19.6.594
DP  - 2002 Nov 01
TA  - Emergency Medicine Journal
PG  - 594--595
VI  - 19
IP  - 6
4099  - http://emj.bmj.com/content/19/6/594.short
4100  - http://emj.bmj.com/content/19/6/594.full
SO  - Emerg Med J2002 Nov 01; 19
AB  - Paracetamol overdose is a common reason for presentation to the emergency department and N-acetylcysteine is frequently used in the treatment of toxic paracetamol ingestions. Adverse reactions to N-acetylcysteine are common though usually mild and easily treated. Serious reactions to N-acetylcysteine however, are rare and there have been no previous reported fatalities with its therapeutic use. This report describes the case of a 40 year old brittle asthmatic patient who died after treatment with intravenous N-acetylcysteine. Asthma is a risk factor for adverse reactions to N-acetylcysteine and special caution should be exercised in its use in brittle asthmatic patients.