Consumption of medical drugs such as painkillers, antibiotics, antidepressants and antivirals is rising at breakneck speed. Sales of such drugs are set to reach USD 1.8 trillion worldwide by 2026. The trend reflects the aging of the global population and more frequent outbreaks of epidemic diseases. However, because these drugs are often prescribed in standardized dosages regardless of the patient's metabolism, clinical conditions and nutritional health, they may fail to have the desired effects, and scientists and physicians are increasingly turning to personalized prescriptions.
With this strategy in mind, researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo's São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP) and São Carlos Institute of Chemistry (IQSC-USP) in Brazil have developed a simple, cheap and flexible sensor that rapidly analyzes saliva to detect paracetamol, a widely used analgesic, and monitors its action in real time to permit dosage correction.
An article reporting the research is published in the journal Small: nano micro and featured on the frontispiece of the March 22 issue.
After administration of a single dose in an oral pill, electrodes on the surface of the device can detect the drug quickly and non-invasively in a small sample of human saliva, thanks to oxidation of the active ingredient by the sensors to produce an electric current.
"The protocol is promising for observation and correction of fluctuations in absorption of paracetamol and response to the drug," said Paulo Augusto Raymundo Pereira, last author of the article and a researcher at IFSC-USP. "An imprecise dosage can have harmful effects not only on the treatment but also on the patient's organism."
Paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) is the main non-opioid analgesic recommended for mild pain by the World Health Organization (WHO), but its excessive consumption is associated with liver and kidney problems caused by the accumulation of toxic…