Citation

Yanagawa Y, Sakamoto T, Okada Y. Am. J. Emerg. Med. 2007; 25(7): 757-761.

Affiliation

Department of Traumatology and Critical Care Medicine, National Defense Medical College, 359-8513, Japan. yanagawa@ndmc.ac.jp

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ajem.2006.12.006

PMID

17870477

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate which factors on arrival correlate with the duration of unconsciousness induced by a psychotropic drug overdose. BASIC PROCEDURE: Patients were 175 consecutive intubated patients unconscious due to psychotropic drug overdose. They were divided into 2 groups, an "early" group in which the patients were extubated within 2 days from hospitalization, and a "delayed" group who were not extubated within 2 days. MAIN FINDINGS: Glasgow Coma Scale (P = .001) scores in the early group were higher than those in the delayed group. The estimated time from ingestion to admission (P < .0001), creatine kinase level (P < .01), number of cases demonstrating shock (P < .05), shock index (P < .0001), and heart rate (P = .001) in the early group were smaller than those in the delayed group. Two subjects in the delayed group died of pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: Delayed arrival from ingestion, a low level of unconsciousness, and a sign of circulatory insufficiency in a patient with a psychotropic drug overdose were risk factors of a delayed recovery and death.

Language: en