TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2000//
TI  - Acute poisoning in the elderly
JO  - European Journal of Geriatrics
A1  - Durakovic, Z.
SP  - 135
EP  - 139
VL  - 2
IS  - 3
N2  - In the Department of Internal Medicine, Rebro University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia, during a five-year period, we treated 0.2% of poisoned patients 65 years of age or above and 0.6% under 65 years of age. In our Intensive Care Unit during eleven years, 2.41% of all patients were treated because of poisoning, 23.7% of them were 65 years of age or above and 76.6% below the age of 65. In this report we present 4 cases of acute poisoning in the elderly. All of them were admitted in a comatous state (degree IV) and were treated successfully. The first patient aged 68 years had attempted to commit suicide by taking 4 mg of medigoxin and 400 IU of Lente insulin and many other drugs and was treated with symptomatic measures; the second aged 80 years had attempted suicide by taking a 40-year-old ampoule containing 500 mg of morphine. This patient was treated with naloxone iv. The third patient aged 80 years attempted to commit suicide by taking 1 dl of 2,4-D and was treated with haemodialysis and haemoperfusion methods; the fourth aged 68 years attempted suicide by drinking 1.5 l of cognac and was treated with hemodialysis. <br><br>CONCLUSION: There is no age limit for the use of any of the therapeutic procedures in the treatment of acute poisoning in the elderly.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1439-1147
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -