Acetaminophen Clinical Guidelines and Studies
These links and downloads include guidelines on acetaminophen's role in pain management and useful overviews of TYLENOL® products. Also featured: abstracts from a wide range of recent studies on osteoarthritis care.
Professional Guidelines on Pain Management
These organizations have recommended acetaminophen as a first–line treatment for a range of conditions:
Osteoarthritis Pain
"For many patients with OA, the relief of mild–to–moderate joint pain afforded by the simple analgesic, acetaminophen, is comparable with that achievable with an NSAID."
"We suggest patients with symptomatic OA of the knee receive one of the following analgesics for pain unless there are contraindications to this treatment:
- Acetaminophen [not to exceed 4 grams per day]
- Nonsteroidal anti–inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
"Current European (EULAR) recommendations for the management of hip and knee OA suggest that, because of its safety and efficacy, [acetaminophen] doses of up to 4g/day should be the oral analgesic of first choice for mild/moderate pain, and if successful, should be used as the preferred long-term oral analgesic."
Persistent Pain in Older Adults
"Acetaminophen [should] be considered as initial and ongoing pharmacotherapy in the treatment of persistent pain, particularly musculoskeletal pain, owing to its demonstrated effectiveness and good safety profile."
In Musculoskeletal Pain in Known Cardiovascular Disease
Acetaminophen is recommended for musculoskeletal symptoms with known cardiovascular disease or risk factors for ischemic heart disease.
*The American College of Rheumatology is an independent professional, medical, and scientific society that does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse any commercial product or service.
Acetaminophen Information
Acetaminophen Overview
- TYLENOL® Professional Product Monograph
- Comprehensive monograph covers pharmacology, dosing, safety and efficacy, overdose management, and more.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
Acetaminophen Studies
- Efficacy of Acetaminophen 1,000 mg vs Acetaminophen 650 mg
- In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose study, acetaminophen 1,000 mg provided significantly greater efficacy in treating postsurgical dental pain compared with acetaminophen 650 mg and placebo.
Qi DS, May LG, Zimmerman B, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of acetaminophen 1,000 mg versus acetaminophen 650 mg for the treatment of postsurgical dental pain. Clin Ther. 2012;34(12):2247-2258.
Management of Acetaminophen Overdose
- Guidelines for the Management of Acetaminophen Overdose
- McNeil Consumer Healthcare
- Nomogram for acute acetaminophen overdose
- McNeil Consumer Healthcare
Osteoarthritis Studies
Framingham on Osteoarthritis: Comprehensive Care
These three collections present abstracts of nearly 60 relevant recent studies in OA care. A broad range of topics is represented.
Framingham on Osteoarthritis: Comprehensive Care is an educational initiative supported by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the makers of TYLENOL®.
- Framingham on OA, Issue 1
- Topics include: recommendations for treatment of hand OA; meta–analysis of chondroitin studies; validation of the short–form WOMAC; review of prognostic factors for progression of knee OA, and more.
- Framingham on OA, Issue 2
- Topics include: The Rotterdam Study and metabolic factors' effect on hand OA; etoricoxib compared with naproxen; meta–analysis of acupuncture for knee OA, and more.
- Framingham on OA, Issue 3
- Topics include: 2008 Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) consensus guidelines; short-measure physical function form for hip OA; clinical comorbidity and physical function in OA; new methods of measuring joint space width in hand radiographs, and more.