Initial management of ingestions of toxic substances.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Kulig.
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STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if sodium polystyrene sulfonate prevents absorption of lithium in human beings. DESIGN: Prospective, crossover study. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Healthy volunteers age 22 to 34 years (three women and three men). INTERVENTIONS: After an eight-hour fast, subjects ingested 0.5 mEq/kg (18.5 mg/kg) lithium carbonate. One hour later, they ingested either 857 mg/kg sodium polystyrene sulfonate in 4 mL water/g sodium polystyrene sulfonate (experimental) or an equal volume of water without sodium polystyrene sulfonate (control). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Serum lithium levels were drawn zero, one, two, three, four, six, eight, ten, 12, and 24 hours after lithium ingestion. The sodium polystyrene sulfonate group had a smaller mean area under the serum concentration curve (11.6 +/- 1.0 mEq/L.hr versus 13.6 +/- 1.5 mEq/L.hr, P < .001) and lower mean highest measured lithium level (0.85 +/- 0.11 mEq/L versus 1.05 +/- 0.10 mEq/L, P < .05) compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in 24-hour urine lithium excretion or in serum sodium and potassium levels. CONCLUSION: Sodium polystyrene sulfonate administration decreased absorption of lithium after a lithium carbonate overdose. Sodium polystyrene sulfonate may be useful clinically for gastric decontamination after lithium overdoses.
The inadvertent administration of a concentrated vancomycin solution to a 47 day-old premature male twin resulted in extremely high vancomycin levels and altered renal function. A 1.5 volume exchange transfusion did not change the measured vancomycin level. Multiple doses of oral activated charcoal, 1 g/kg, were administered beginning 5 h after the exchange transfusion. A calculated half-life of vancomycin before the exchange transfusion was 35 h. The half-life after the exchange transfusion and during charcoal administration was calculated to be 12 h. The only apparent adverse effect of this vancomycin overdose was reversible nephrotoxicity. The infant's hearing, tested by brainstem auditory responses, was normal. The higher volume of distribution of vancomycin in infants may preclude removing significant amounts of this drug by exchange transfusion. Gastrointestinal dialysis with activated charcoal warrants consideration in cases of vancomycin overdose in neonates.
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We present two cases of severe headache associated with the use of bromocriptine for lactation suppression in otherwise healthy women. In each case, the additional use of a therapeutic sympathomimetic agent resulted in extreme worsening of symptoms with development of hypertension and life-threatening complications (ventricular tachycardia and cardiac dysfunction in one case, seizures and cerebral vasospasm in the other). Sympathomimetics in combination with bromocriptine in patients with a bromocriptine-associated headache during the puerperium may be dangerous.
Many practicing physical therapists participate in the most crucial phase of a student's education by serving as Clinical Instructors. The purposes of this study were to identify the clinical teaching behaviors perceived as most effective and most hindering by students and CIs and to compare the response rates of students in bachelor's and master's degree programs. A published 58-item questionnaire was completed by 172 participants from eight physical therapy education programs. The results were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance. The perceived most helpful teaching behaviors pertained to providing information through feedback. The perceived most hindering behaviors were intimidating questioning and correcting student errors in the presence of patients. The different student and CI ratings for the item "leaves student alone until asked to supervise" has important ethical and educational implications. Master's and bachelor's degree students' ratings differed significantly on four teaching behaviors. Different instructional methods might be necessary for educating these students.
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Isoniazid overdose is known to result in the rapid onset of seizures, metabolic acidosis, and prolonged obtundation. Pyridoxine has been reported to be effective in treating isoniazid-induced seizures. We report three cases of obtundation secondary to isoniazid overdose that was immediately reversed by intravenous pyridoxine. In two of these cases, status seizures were stopped by intravenous pyridoxine administration, but the patients remained comatose for prolonged periods. The comas were immediately reversed by the administration of additional pyridoxine. In the third case, the patient's lethargy was treated by intravenous pyridoxine on presentation and was followed by immediate awakening. Pyridoxine is effective in treating not only isoniazid-induced seizures, but also the mental status changes associated with this overdose. The dose required to induce awakening may be higher than that required to control seizures.
LSD is still readily available in the United States as a street drug of abuse. Emergency physicians may be called on to diagnose acute LSD intoxication in cases in which the history is unavailable. The typical LSD intoxication syndrome causes marked illusions of color and sound, along with a feeling of "cosmic awareness." True hallucinations only occasionally occur; the pupils invariably are massively dilated. The diagnosis may be very difficult to establish when other drugs, particularly those causing coma, are present. The toxicology laboratory can now easily detect LSD by radioimmunoassay.
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Clinical instruction is a critical component of allied health education. The purposes of this study were to identify those behaviors of clinical instructors perceived as both most effective and most hindering in facilitating learning, to identify and compare the behaviors of clinical instructors as perceived by two different allied health groups, and to categorize into meaningful domains the behaviors identified. A published 58-item questionnaire was completed by 311 clinical students and instructors from eight physical therapy and ten physician assistant programs. Results were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance. Instructor behaviors rated as most helpful in learning included answering questions clearly, taking time for discussion and questions, and providing opportunities for practicing skills. Behaviors most hindering to learning were asking questions in an intimidating manner and correcting student errors in front of patients. Ratings were significantly different (P less than or equal to .001) between the physical therapy and physician assistant groups on 13 items, and posed important considerations for allied health educators.
During a nationwide acetaminophen overdose study conducted at the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center from 1976-1985, 113 patients entered into the study were reported to be pregnant at the time of the overdose. Follow-up, including appropriate laboratory and pregnancy outcome data, was available in 60 cases. Of these, 19 women overdosed during the first trimester, 22 during the second trimester, and 19 during the third trimester of pregnancy. Of the 24 patients with acetaminophen levels above the acetaminophen overdose nomogram line, ten were treated with N-acetylcysteine within 10 hours post-ingestion; eight delivered normal infants and two had elective abortions. Of ten patients treated with N-acetylcysteine 10-16 hours post-ingestion, five delivered viable infants, two had elective abortions, and three had spontaneous abortions. Of four women treated with N-acetylcysteine 16-24 hours post-ingestion, one mother died, and there was one spontaneous abortion, one stillbirth, one elective abortion, and one delivery. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between the time to loading dose of N-acetylcysteine and pregnancy outcome, with an increase in the incidence of spontaneous abortion or fetal death when treatment was begun late. We recommend that pregnant women who take an acetaminophen overdose and have a potentially toxic serum level be treated with N-acetylcysteine as early as possible.
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A prospective review of 51 cases of tobacco ingestion and 5 cases of nicotine resin chewing gum exposure was conducted to evaluate the incidence and degree of toxicity caused by these products in children. A dose-response relationship was observed for cigarette exposures. Nine of 10 children ingesting more than one cigarette or three cigarette butts developed signs or symptoms, while 12 of 24 ingesting lesser amounts became symptomatic (P less than 0.01). Severe symptoms (e.g. limb jerking and unresponsiveness) were only seen with the larger amounts. Nicotine resin gum produced toxicity in 4 of 5 children who chewed 1/2 to 4 pieces. Agitation, lethargy, tachycardia, hypotension, abdominal pain, and vomiting were seen within 30 min of exposure to the gum.
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Overdose of tricyclic antidepressants remains one of the most difficult poisonings to manage optimally in the emergency department, primarily due to the extremely rapid onset of life-threatening symptomatology. The continued high incidence of such overdoses has ensured that morbidity and mortality rates also remain unacceptably high. The development of the "second-generation antidepressants," with apparently different pharmacology and toxicity after overdose, has been an attempt to address this serious medical problem. This report reviews the published literature on the overdose toxicology of the newer cyclic antidepressants currently available in the United States--amoxapine, maprotiline, and trazodone. Nomifensine, released by the FDA in 1984, recently has been voluntarily withdrawn from the world market. Bupropion, released in 1985, also has been voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturer three months after its release.