Characteristic of Paracetamol Overdose Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic, Saudi Arabia, 2019-2020

Purpose: Paracetamol is the most used medication worldwide; due to its analgesic and antipyretic effect; it had been included within the recommended regimen for COVID-19 patients. This study aimed at exploring the changes in the incidence of paracetamol overdose during pandemic compared to pre-pandemic periods. Methodology: Through a record-based study, all cases of paracetamol overdose who had been reported to the ministry of health in Saudi Arabia in the period between January 2019 and December 2020 were included in the study. Data stored in electronic form were retrieved and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Frequency distribution was used to describe categorical variables. Findings: Two hundred and forty four paracetamol overdose cases were reported in 2020 (during the pandemic) compared to 449 in 2019 (pre-pandemic) with dominance of females (62.6%) and Saudis (86.7%). Most cases ingested paracetamol orally mainly in solid forms (76.5%), and they were mostly diagnosed as confirmed cases on admission (84.6%). The great majority recovered and discharged (87.8%). The overall annual incidence of paracetamol in (pre-pandemic) was 1.32/100,000 which dropped markedly during pandemic to 0.71/100,000. Conclusion: There was a general decline in the incidence of paracetamol overdose during COVID-19 pandemic, with relative increase in incidence in home incidents and in children. Recommendation: Health education to the public to increase their awareness about proper and safe use of paracetamol is highly recommended, as well as introducing instructions and guidelines for practitioners about prescribing it.