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Self-Poisoning Statistics.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2004

Thursday, 30 September 2004

Questions (169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174)

Dan Neville

Question:

170 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons by gender who overdosed on paracetamol products for 2000, 2001 and 2002. [23105/04]

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Dan Neville

Question:

171 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of kidney failures resulting from overdosing on paracetamol products for each year from 2000 to 2003. [23106/04]

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Dan Neville

Question:

172 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons who suffered liver damage as a result of paracetamol poisoning in each of the years 2000 to 2003. [23107/04]

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Dan Neville

Question:

173 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of cases of self-poisoning here in each of the years from 2000 to 2003; and the number of cases of self-poisoning resulting from paracetamol products in each of these years. [23108/04]

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Dan Neville

Question:

174 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of liver transplants here in each of the years 2000 to 2003; and the number of liver transplants due to damage as a result of paracetamol overdoses in each of the years 2000 to 2003. [23109/04]

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Dan Neville

Question:

175 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of products on the market containing paracetamol; and the names of same. [23110/04]

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Written answers

I propose to take QuestionsNos. 170 to 175, inclusive, together.

The statistical data sought by the Deputy is summarised in the following table. With the exception of data on liver transplants, which comes from the national organ procurement service and renal and pancreatic transplant centre based at Beaumont Hospital, the data presented below are derived from the hospital in-patient inquiry, HIPE, system, which records information on each in-patient and day-case discharge from all publicly funded acute hospitals. Persons hospitalised more than once in a given year for the same condition are counted separately in the statistics for each hospital stay.

Table 1 Hospitalisation related to Paracetamol Poisoning 2000-2003

Year

Self-poisoning: no. of persons

Self-poisoning by paracetamol: no. of persons by gender

Paracetamol poisoning: no. of persons by gender

No. of persons who suffered kidney failures as a result of paracetamol poisoning

No. of persons who suffered liver damage as a result of paracetamol poisoning

No. of liver transplants(3) (4)

Male

Female

Male

Female

2000

3,731

293

643

487

1,036

9

25

40

2001

3,643

311

693

483

1,086

15

35

35

2002

3,402

282

538

464

928

12

36

38

2003 (5)

3,508

299

602

489

997

11

27

32

Source: Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) except liver transplant data (see note 3)
Notes:
(1) Kidney failure may pre-exist the overdosing episode hence kidney failure may or may not be due to the overdosing on paracetamol products.
(2) Liver damage may pre-exist the poisoning hence liver damage may or may not be due to paracetamol poisoning.
(3) National Organ Procurement Service and Renal and Pancreatic Centre.
(4) In HIPE, only 2 cases implicate paracetamol as a contributory factor to liver transplant in the period 2000-2003.
(5) HIPE data for 2003 is incomplete.
The above data relates to cases where persons were hospitalised. The National Poisons Centre based at Beaumont Hospital have supplied the following data in relation to reports received in the centre on paracetamol overdosing.
Table 2. Total number of persons who overdosed on Paracetamol, grouped by gender.

Total

Females Accidental only*

Total

Males Accidental only*

Total

Unknown Accidental only*

2000

479

41

265

38

17

6

2001

538

40

201

24

5

2

2002

410

37

127

15

2

0

2003

445

35

177

42

3

0

*All cases involving children under the age of 12 are deemed to be accidental.
Source: National Poisons Centre
Table 3. Cases of self-poisoning.

Year

All agents

Pharmaceuticals only

Paracetamol

2000

11,322

5,379

676

2001

9,744

6,221

678

2002

8,646

5,567

487

2003

8,386

5,125

548

Source: National Poisons Centre
The number of authorised products on the market containing paracetamol is one hundred and nineteen. However the Deputy should be aware that because a product is authorised, this does not necessarily mean that the product is on the market at this time. Information on the number of products on the market at this time containing paracetamol is not available.
With regard to the names of products containing paracetamol, this information is not readily available. However I have asked the Irish Medicines Board for this information and I will forward it to the Deputy when it becomes available.
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