Trends in Fomepizole Use for Acetaminophen Poisoning in the United States; 2013–2024

Abstract

Background Fomepizole has been suggested as adjunctive therapy for severe acetaminophen poisoning though clinical efficacy is unknown. We sought to determine trends in the use of fomepizole for acetaminophen poisoning. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of hospitalized patients with acetaminophen poisoning from January 2013 through December 2024, using Epic Cosmos, a research database of 298 million patients nationally. We identified encounters involving acetaminophen poisoning by International Classification of Diseases, version 10 (ICD-10-CM) code. Data extracted included administration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and fomepizole, demographic data, and outcomes of death and liver transplantation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify trends and multivariable logistic regression to determine associations with death. Results There were 114,111 hospital encounters involving acetaminophen poisoning with 64,957 (56.92%) receiving NAC, and 1,552 (1.36%) receiving fomepizole. In 2013, 0.44% of NAC-treated acetaminophen poisoning cases also received fomepizole. This rose to 6.27% in 2024. From 2013 to 2019, the proportion of NAC-treated acetaminophen cases receiving fomepizole was stable, but from 2019 to 2024, there was a 1029.64% increase in fomepizole use. Regression modeling indicated increased odds for death (OR = 5.88, aOR = 5.32 [95% CI: 4.52, 6.27]) among those who received fomepizole in addition to NAC, indicating increased fomepizole use in patients with severe toxicity. Conclusion Fomepizole use in acetaminophen poisoning has risen dramatically since 2019, particularly among patients at highest risk for death and liver transplantation. It is of critical importance to determine the efficacy of fomepizole for acetaminophen poisoning.

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