Overdose blood test breakthrough

PEOPLE who overdose on paracetamol could be helped by a blood test that shows immediately if they are going to suffer liver damage, according to researchers.

The test, which detects levels of specific molecules in blood, could help doctors identify which patients arriving in hospital need more intense treatment.

It will also help speed up the development of new therapies for liver damage by targeting patients most likely to benefit.

Three molecules in the blood associated with liver damage are detected by the test.

Previous studies have shown levels of these markers are elevated in the blood of patients with liver damage long before current tests can detect a problem.

A team led by the universities of Edinburgh and Liverpool measured levels in 1,000 patients who needed hospital treatment for paracetamol overdose.