User:Mr. Ibrahem/Barbiturate overdose
| Barbiturate overdose | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Barbiturate poisoning, barbiturate toxicity |
 | |
| Molecular diagram of phenobarbital | |
| Specialty | Emergency medicine |
| Symptoms | Decreased breathing, decreased level of consciousness[1] |
| Complications | Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema[2] |
| Duration | 6-12 hours[2] |
| Causes | Accidental, suicide[3] |
| Diagnostic method | Blood or urine tests[4] |
| Treatment | Breathing support, activated charcoal[5][6] |
| Frequency | Uncommon[7] |
Barbiturate overdose is poisoning due to excessive doses of barbiturates.[8] Symptoms typically include difficulty thinking, poor coordination, decreased level of consciousness, and a decreased effort to breathe (respiratory depression).[1] Complications of overdose can include noncardiogenic pulmonary edema.[2] If death occurs this is typically due to a lack of breathing.[3]
Barbiturate overdose may occur by accident or purposefully in an attempt to cause death.[3] The toxic effects are additive to those of alcohol and benzodiazepines.[3] The lethal dose varies with a person's tolerance and how the drug is taken.[3] The effects of barbiturates occur via the GABA neurotransmitter.[2] Exposure may be verified by testing the urine or blood.[4]
Treatment involves supporting a person's breathing and blood pressure.[2][5] While there is no antidote, activated charcoal may be useful.[5][6] Multiple doses of charcoal may be required.[7] Hemodialysis may occasionally be considered.[6] Urine alkalinisation has not been found to be useful.[6] While once a common cause of overdose, barbiturates are now a rare cause.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Weaver, MF (3 September 2015). "Prescription Sedative Misuse and Abuse". The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 88 (3): 247–56. PMC 4553644. PMID 26339207.
- ^ a b c d e Marx, John A. Marx (2014). "165". Rosen's emergency medicine : concepts and clinical practice (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. pp. Sedative Hypnotics. ISBN 978-1455706051.
- ^ a b c d e Sadock, Benjamin J.; Sadock, Virginia A. (2008). Kaplan & Sadock's Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 149. ISBN 9780781787468. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04.
- ^ a b Baren, Jill M. (2008). Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 955. ISBN 978-1416000877. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04.
- ^ a b c Carroll, Robert G. (2010). Problem-based Physiology. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 99. ISBN 978-1416042174. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04.
- ^ a b c d Roberts, DM; Buckley, NA (January 2011). "Enhanced elimination in acute barbiturate poisoning - a systematic review". Clinical Toxicology. 49 (1): 2–12. doi:10.3109/15563650.2010.550582. PMID 21288146.
- ^ a b c Müller, D; Desel, H (October 2013). "Common causes of poisoning: etiology, diagnosis and treatment". Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 110 (41): 690–9, quiz 700. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0690. PMC 3813891. PMID 24194796.
- ^ Publishing, Bloomsbury (2009). Dictionary of Medical Terms. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 9781408102091. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04.