Student's Paracetamol Overdose Leads to Life-Support and Multi-Organ Failure

Riley Lubas, 20, began feeling ill during his first term at the University of Bath and bought both cold-and-flu tablets and 500 mg paracetamol tablets, not realizing the former also contained 250 mg of paracetamol. Over four or five days he consumed roughly 9 000 mg of paracetamol, more than double the adult maximum. Symptoms of stomach pain and vomiting led his flatmates to call 111, and he was taken to the Royal United Hospital where liver problems were detected.

He was transferred to King's College Hospital, placed on life support, sedated and put on dialysis as his liver and other organs failed. Doctors later moved him to the top of the UK liver-transplant list, but heart damage delayed any transplant. His liver function improved, allowing removal of dialysis and life-support equipment after about a week, followed by weeks of rehabilitation to relearn walking and speaking before discharge home.