Citation

Strøm J, Sloth Madsen P, Nygaard Nielsen N, Bredgaard Sørensen M. Acta Anaesthesiol. Scand. 1984; 28(6): 666-670.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

6524283

Abstract

Clinical findings on admission to hospital and outcome in 295 consecutive patients with severe tricyclic antidepressant self-poisoning treated in an ICU are presented. Cerebral depression was observed in 92%, convulsions in 23% and respiratory failure was present in 72%. Cardiovascular function was impaired in 44% and an abnormal ECG was found in 57%. Cardiac arrest was treated in 14 patients (6%) of whom seven were resuscitated. The mortality rate was 2%. All patients were artificially ventilated. A beneficial effect of respiratory alkalosis on cardiac arrhythmias is supported.

Language: en