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Due to paracetamol overdose, blood test may prevent liver damage

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New Delhi : A blood test may help people who overdose on paracetamol as it shows quickly if they are at risk of suffering liver damage, says a study.

The test – which detects levels of specific molecules in blood – could help doctors identify which patients arriving in hospital need more intense treatment.

 

Paracetamol is a relatively safe painkiller when taken in the right dose. But many people unknowingly consume too much by taking paracetamol at the same time as cold and flu medications that also contain the drug.

Liver injuries are a common complication of drug overdoses. In some cases the damage can be so severe that the patient needs a transplant and, in rare instances, can be fatal.

“Paracetamol overdose is very common and presents a large workload for already over-stretched emergency departments. These new blood tests can identify who will develop liver injury as soon as they first arrive at hospital. This could transform the care of this large, neglected, patient group,” said one of the researchers James Dear of the University of Edinburgh in Britain.

The study, published in the Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, showed that the test can accurately predict which patients are going to develop liver problems, and who may need to be treated for longer before they are discharged.

The test detects three different molecules in the blood that are associated with liver damage – called miR-122, HMGB1 and FL-K18.

The researchers measured levels of the three markers in more than 1,000 patients across the UK who needed hospital treatment for paracetamol overdose.

They found that it could identify patients at risk of suffering liver damage. The test could also help identify patients who could be safely discharged after treatment.

 

Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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