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Thyroid Drug Linked to Fatal Liver Failure in Children
The drug propylthiouracil, used to treat Graves' disease - the most common cause of an overactive thyroid - may induce fatal liver disease in children, according to 2 physicians in the US. They are recommending that the drug no longer be used as treatment in this population.
Propylthiouracil, also known as PTU, is used as first-line treatment of Graves disease, but during the past 60 years there have been reports linking the drug to liver failure in children, which sometimes requires a liver transplant or worse, proves fatal.
Donald R. Mattison of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Dr. Scott A. Rivkees of Yale University School of Medicine evaluted data from the FDA and estimated that complications resulting from the use of PUT in children is associated with between 5 and 10 fatalities a year.
On Thursday, April 9, a letter written by the 2 doctors was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, urging their colleagues not to give PTU as initial treatment to children with Grave's disease.
APRIL-09-09: Doctors: Thyroid drug can hurt liver, be fatal for kids [USA TODAY: THYROID DRUG HURTS LIVER, COULD BE FATAL]
Published on Apr-9-09
Propylthiouracil, also known as PTU, is used as first-line treatment of Graves disease, but during the past 60 years there have been reports linking the drug to liver failure in children, which sometimes requires a liver transplant or worse, proves fatal.
Donald R. Mattison of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Dr. Scott A. Rivkees of Yale University School of Medicine evaluted data from the FDA and estimated that complications resulting from the use of PUT in children is associated with between 5 and 10 fatalities a year.
On Thursday, April 9, a letter written by the 2 doctors was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, urging their colleagues not to give PTU as initial treatment to children with Grave's disease.
APRIL-09-09: Doctors: Thyroid drug can hurt liver, be fatal for kids [USA TODAY: THYROID DRUG HURTS LIVER, COULD BE FATAL]
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