How does an acetaminophen overdose occur?
An acetaminophen overdose is serious, and it can occur all too easily. Consider these scenarios: • You’re in a hurry. You might unwittingly give your child too much acetaminophen if you don’t take the time to carefully measure the medication — or if you don’t realize that another caregiver has already given your child a dose of medication. • You combine medications. If your child has various cold symptoms, you might combine acetaminophen with a cold remedy. But this can be dangerous because many cold medications already contain acetaminophen. • You use the wrong formulation. You might cause an overdose if you give your child adult acetaminophen tablets instead of the children’s formulation. Even the children’s versions of acetaminophen come in many different formulations, and the dosage varies for each one. For example, infant drops are more concentrated than is the liquid acetaminophen typically given to toddlers. If you assume that both liquids contain the same amount of medicine, su
