Dan Neville
Ceist:164 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of cases of paracetamol poisoning in each year from 1990 to 1999 inclusive. [20831/00]
Written Answers. - Paracetamol Poisoning.
Dan Neville
Ceist:165 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people who suffer liver damage because of misuse of paracetamol products in each year from 1990 to 1999. [20832/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 165 together.
The data is derived from the hospital in-patient enquiry, HIPE, system which covers all hospitalisation in publicly-funded acute hospitals. All hospital discharges recording a diagnosis of poisoning by paracetamol type analgesics are included in the following table. Poisoning from other similar analgesics, such as acetanilid and phenacetin, also form part of this category but numbers are not likely to be significant. Figures in the table should not be taken to represent numbers of individual patients since persons hospitalised several times during the year for the same condition will be counted separately in the statistics.
The table also indicates the presence of a liver condition for those cases with a diagnosis of paracetamol type poisoning. Caution should be used in interpreting these figures since it is not possible to determine whether a given liver condition is pre-existing and-or related to paracetamol poisoning.
The HIPE system did not achieve full coverage until 1994 and comparable data prior to this date are therefore not available.
Table
Hospital discharges with a diagnosis of paracetamol* poisoning and hospital discharges with a diagnosis of paracetamol* poisoning and a liver condition, 1994-1999
|
Year |
Number of Discharges with a Diagnosis of Paracetamol* Poisoning |
Of which also were Diagnosed with a Liver Condition |
|
1994 |
1,300 |
16 |
|
1995 |
1,429 |
21 |
|
1996 |
1,445 |
23 |
|
1997 |
1,628 |
20 |
|
1998 |
1,470 |
25 |
|
1999 |
1,452 |
43 |
Source: HIPE 1994-1999.
*Also includes acetanilid and phenacetin.