Acute Liver Failure After Administration of Acetaminophen at the Recommended Daily Dose in an Adult: A Case Report

Acetaminophen may cause liver damage in a dose-dependent way: we experienced a case where an intravenous injection of 3 g/day of acetaminophen, which is less than the recommended maximum dose, was thought to have caused acute liver failure in a 73-year-old female. Four courses of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were given, without liver damage until the third course. After the administration of the fourth course, the patient experienced nausea and vomiting. She was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of enteritis a week later. At the time of admission, there was no liver impairment. For abdominal pain caused by enteritis, acetaminophen was administered intravenously over two days, totaling 4,000 mg. On the third day, acute liver failure developed, and N-acetylcysteine was administered. There was no improvement after the introduction of treatment; hence, 1,000 mg/day of steroid pulse therapy was administered. The patient’s liver function started to improve, and she was discharged from the hospital two weeks later. This case suggests that the amount of acetaminophen used per unit of body weight may be unintentionally greater for adults with a small physique; thus, physicians should provide sufficient monitoring to discover side effects early and ensure there is appropriate use.