A man died after an overdose of paracetamol in self-medication for COVID-19 – Medicines

A man from Botosani County, in northeastern Romania, died as a result of a paracetamol overdose after trying to treat himself with COVID-19, Agence France-Presse reported.

According to the director of the Public Health Directorate, Monica Adaskalicei, the 70-year-old man fell into a deep coma and his family called an ambulance. However, the doctors could not save him.

Details of the 24-year-old deceased with COVID-19 have been revealed

Adascalicei said that according to his family, the man had respiratory symptoms such as cough, fever, chest pain and others for more than a week.

“Again, according to his family, the patient took two 500-milligram acetaminophen tablets every four hours for several days, which means 6 grams of acetaminophen every 24 hours, which is too much,” Adaskalicei said.

The head of the Public Health Directorate said a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 was performed in his ambulance and a PCR test was carried out in the emergency department. Both tests were positive, according to her, during hospitalization the patient presented multiorgan failure, including liver failure, which accelerated his death.

Adaskalicei recalled that doctors warn that self-medication for some diseases such as COVID-19 is contraindicated and that the consequences of such a decision can be very serious.