Paracetamol
Other names: Acetaminophen
The test is used to measure the concentration of paracetamol in the blood; the test is usually ordered if a doctor suspects that a patient has taken an overdose of paracetamol (this may be accidental or on purpose).
Why is the test used?
The test is used when a patient has taken too much paracetamol; the test is only ordered when a doctor suspects that the patient has had an overdose. The test may be ordered to determine if the liver has been damaged due to paracetamol overdose and to help doctors decide a suitable treatment pathway.
The test is usually conducted 4 hours after the overdose occurred or as quickly as possible if the patient has taken several overdoses over the course of the previous 2 or 3 days.
How is the test done?
The test is carried out by taking a sample of blood from the patient’s arm; usually, a vein on the inside of the elbow is used. A needle is inserted into the vein and the blood is collected in a syringe; once the doctor has a sufficient sample, the blood will be bottled, labelled with the patient’s name and sent to the laboratory for analysis.
What do the test results mean?
If the concentration of paracetamol is high, this may contribute to liver damage; the higher the concentration, the greater the risk of liver damage. A paracetamol overdose can be very serious and potentially fatal; it is therefore important that the patient is given antidotal treatment as quickly as possible. Usually, symptoms do not appear for around 26 hours after the overdose.
Specific Blood Tests
- Specific Blood Tests
- Factor V Leiden Mutation and PT 20210 Mutation
- Ferritin Test
- Fibrinogen
- Fructosamine
- FSH Test
- G6PD
- Gastrin
- GGT
- Glucose test
- Growth hormone
- Haemoglobin
- Haptoglobin
- HbA1c test
- HDL Cholesterol Test
- Helicobacter Pylori test
- Heparin Anti-Xa
- Hepatitis A Virus
- Hepatitis B Virus
- Hepatitis C Virus
- Her-2/neu Testing
- Heterophil Antibody Titre
- High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein
- HIV Antibody Test
- HIV Resistance Testing
- HIV Viral Load
- IGF-1
- Immunoreactive Trypsin
- Insulin
- Iron test
- LDH
- LDL Cholesterol Test
- Lead Test
- LH Test
- Lipase Test
- Lipoprotein (a)
- Lithium
- Lupus Anticoagulant
- Lyme disease test
- Maternal screening
- Mercury, Urine and Blood
- Mycophenolic Acid
- Myoglobin Test
- Oestrogen
- Osmolality
- Overdose Drug Test
- Paracetamol
- Parathyroid Hormone
- Parvovirus B19
- PCV
- Pertussis
- Phenobarbital
- Phenytoin
- Phospate
- Platelet Count
- Porphyrins
- Potassium Test
- Prealbumin Test
- Procalcitonin
- Progesterone Test
- Prolactin
- Prostate-Specific Antigen
- Protein 24 Capsid Antigen
- Protein C and Protein S
- Protein Electrophoresis Immunofixation Electrophoresis
- Prothrombin Time
- PSEN1 Test
- PTH
- Reticulocyte count
- Rheumatoid factor
- Rubella test
- Salicylic Acid
- Serotonin
- Sex Hormone Binding Globulin
- Sickle Cell Test
- Sirolimus
- Smooth Muscle Antibody
- Sodium Test
- Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides
- Synacthen Test
- Syphilis Test
- Tacrolimus
- Tau protein
- Testosterone Test
- Theophylline & Caffeine
- Thiopurine s-methyltransferase
- Thyroglobulin (Tg)
- Thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb)
- Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone
- Thyroxine
- TIBC, UIBC & Transferring
- TORCH Test
- Total Protein test
- Triiodothyronine
- Triglycerides Test
- Troponin test
- Urea test
- Uric Acid
- Valproic Acid
- Vancomycin
- Very Low Density Lipoprotein
- Vitamin B12 and Folate
- Vitamin D
- West Nile Virus
- White blood cell differential count
- Zinc Protoporphyrin
- Activated Clotting Time
- ACTH
- Albumin
- Aldosterone and Renin
- Alkaline Phosphatase Test
- Allergen-Specific IgE Antibody Test
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin
- Alpha-Fetoprotein
- ALT
- AMA
- Ammonia
- Amylase Test
- Angiotensin Converting Enzyme
- Antinuclear Antibody
- Antithrombin
- Apolipoprotein A-I
- Apolipoprotein E Genotyping
- aPTT
- AST
- Bicarbonate
- Bilirubin
- Blood cultures
- Blood film
- Blood Gas Tests
- Blood Ketones
- Brain Natriuretic Peptide
- BRCA-1 & BRCA-2
- CA 125
- Cancer Antigen 15-3
- Cancer Antigen 19-9
- C-peptide
- Caeruloplasmin
- Calcitonin
- Calcium Test
- Carbamazepine
- Cardiac Risk Assessment
- Cardiolipin Antobodies
- Catecholamines, Plasma and Urine
- CCP
- CD4 and CD8
- CEA Test
- CF Gene Mutation Testing
- Chickenpox and Shingles Tests
- Chloride Test
- Cholesterol Test
- Chlorinesterase Test
- Chromogranin A
- Ciclosporin
- CMV
- Coagulation Factors
- Coeliac Disease Tests
- Copper
- Cortisol Test
- Creatine Kinase CK-MB Test
- Creatine Kinase Test
- Creatinine
- Creatinine Clearance
- C-Reactive Protein
- Cystatin C
- D-Dimer
- DHEAS
- Digoxin
- Direct LDL cholesterol
- eGFR - Calc. Creatinine Clearance
- Electrolytes
- Epstein-Barr Virus Antibodies
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
- Erythropoietin
- Ethanol
Blood Test Guide
- Blood Tests
- Types of blood tests
- what to expect
- What are the risks of blood tests?
- What do blood tests show?
- Specific Blood Tests