Sepsis is a bad response to an illness in which a lot of tissues swell. It causes organ failure after a certain point. But in a recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers have revealed that using intravenous acetaminophen can reduce the risk of organ damage and acute respiratory distress syndrome in people with sepsis. Â
This study was published in the JAMA and involved 447 patients with sepsis and organ dysfunction. These patients were from the United States. Researchers divided them into two groups such as the acetaminophen group, consisting of 227 patients and the placebo group, consisting of 220 patients. These patients were given either acetaminophen or a placebo medication every six hours for five days. Â
In this study, researchers tracked these patients for 28 days just to check how they are responding to their assigned medications. Sepsis is a condition in which damaged red blood cells release hemoglobin directly into the blood. It causes organ failure. When researchers observed the collected data, they found that acetaminophen worked very effectively for those whose amounts of hemoglobin released directly into the blood were higher. Only 8% of the patients in the acetaminophen group needed help to breathe. On the other hand, this rate was higher in the placebo group as it was 23%. Â
When researchers noticed the death rates, they noticed that it was lower in the acetaminophen group as compared to the placebo group as it was 12% and 21% respectively. However, this survival rate is not clinically significant. The results of this study clearly show that acetaminophen did not increase the overall survival rate of sepsis. However, patients who used this medication did not need much help to breathe. The results of this study clearly show acetaminophen can work effectively to treat people with sepsis. So, healthcare professionals should make some effective strategies using this. Â
Reference Link:Â Â
Phase 2b Randomized Trial of Acetaminophen for Prevention and Treatment of Organ Dysfunction in Critically Ill Sepsis Patients, JAMA (2024).Â
