Detection and follow-up, after partial liver resection, of the urinary paracetamol metabolites by proton NMR spectroscopy.

Background: Combination drug therapy is often used to achieve optimal analgesia in surgery. Paracetamol can be used as one component of an analgesic regime following hepatic resection.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate paracetamol and its metabolites by proton NMR spectroscopy in patient urine and to assess whether N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI, a hepatotoxic metabolite) formation is increased after liver resection.