Acetadote

Acetylcysteine, also called N-acetylcysteine or NAC, is a mucolytic medication used chiefly to treat paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose and to thin thick mucus secretions in chronic lung conditions such as chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. It can be given intravenously, orally, or by inhalation through a nebulizer, and is also sold as a dietary supplement. In paracetamol poisoning it works indirectly, by raising levels of glutathione, the body's own antioxidant, which then neutralizes the toxic breakdown product of paracetamol that would otherwise damage the liver. When inhaled or taken for respiratory conditions, it instead acts directly as a mucolytic, breaking chemical bonds within mucus to make it thinner and easier to clear from the airways. Acetylcysteine was first patented in 1960 and came into medical use in 1968; it is available as a generic medicine and appears on the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines as of its 23rd edition in 2023. It is sold under numerous brand names including Acetadote, Fluimucil and Mucomyst.