- Cardiac Toxicity in Patients with Antidepressant Intoxication
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Jung-Taek Park, Se-Min Choi, Young-Min Oh, Joo-Suk Oh, Yeon-Young Kyoung, Hang-Joo Cho, Kyoung-Ho Choi
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J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol. 2010;8(2):97-105. Published online December 31, 2010
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- Purpose: Although cardiac toxicity is a key parameter of significant toxicity, in antidepressant intoxication, there are few studies on the cardiac toxicity of serotonin reuptake inhibitor and the intoxication with the new generation of antidepressants. The aim of this study is to investigate the relative cardiac toxicity of serotonin reuptake inhibitor and intoxication with the new generation of antidepressants as compared with that of tricyclic antidepressant intoxication. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 109 antidepressant intoxicated patients who visited the Emergency Department from January, 2005 to December, 2009 to collect and analyze the demographic and clinical data. Sixteen patients were excluded. The enrolled seventy eight patients were classified into three groups: the tricyclic antidepressant group (TCA) (n=32), the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor subgroup (SSRI) (n=28) and the new generation antidepressant subgroup (NGA) (n=18). Results: The demographic and clinical data of the SSRI and NGA groups were not significantly different from that of the TCA group. The QRS duration of the SSRI subgroup ($86.4{pm}12.0$ msec) and the NGA subgroup ($91.8{pm}11.9$ msec) was not significantly different from that of the TCA group ($90.0{pm}13.5msec$) (p=0.598). The QTc interval of the SSRI group ($444.5{pm}33.5msec$) and the NGA group ($434.9{pm}35.9msec$) (p=0.260) were not significantly different from that of the TCA group ($431.2{pm}44.1msec$) (p=0.287). Conclusion: Intoxication with SSRI and the new generation antidepressants seemed to show significant cardiac toxicity, like what is seen in tricyclic antidepressant intoxication. Clinicians must pay attention to SSRI and new generation antidepressant intoxication.
- Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Neonicotinoid Insecticide Poisoning
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Jin-Chul Kim, Byung-Hak So, Han-Joon Kim, Hyung-Min Kim, Jung-Ho Park, Se-Min Choi, Kyu-Nam Park, Kyoung-Ho Choi
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J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol. 2010;8(1):24-29. Published online June 30, 2010
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- Purpose: Neonicotinoid insecticides are widely used as they have been proven by experimental studies to have low toxicity to mammals, including humans. As the use of neonicotioids increases, the number of patients with neonicotinoid poisoning has also increased. We conducted a study to investigate the clinical manifestations of neonicotinid poisoning. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the patients who ingested neonicotinids and who visited the emergency department located in Korea from March 2002 to February 2010. We reviewed the patients' age, gender, the amount of exposure, the elapsed time to presentation, the treatment and the outcome. According to the poisoning severity score, we divided the patients with a Poisoning severity score (PSS) of 0 or 1 into the mild/moderate toxicity group and the patients with a PSS of 2 or 3 into the severe/fatal toxicity group. Results: A total of 24 patients were analyzed. The most common clinical manifestations of neonicotinoid insecticide toxicity were gastrointestinal symptoms (66.7%) such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain and the others are respiratory symptoms (16.7%), cardiovascular symptoms (12.5%), metabolic imbalance (12.5%), renal dysfunction (8.3%), CNS symptoms (8.3%), and asymptomatic (29.2%). Twenty patients (83.3%) showed mild/moderate toxicity and 4 patients (16.7%) showed fatal conditions such as shock and mutiorgan failure. The mortality rate was 4.2%. In these fatal cases, the patients developed respiratory failure, hypotension, altered mentality and renal failure at the acute stage and they deteriorated to a more serious condition. This severe toxicity was caused by decreased renal excretion of neonicotinid metabolite, and this was improved after hemodialysis. Conclusion: Most patients with neonicotinoid poisoning and who showed mild toxicity usually improved after symptomatic treatment. However, some patients showed significant toxicity with respiratory failure and renal function deterioration, and intensive care needed, including mechanical ventilation and hemodialysis.
- The Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors of Upper Digestive Lesions that are due to Ingestion of Caustic Material
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Young-Sin Kim, Se-Min Choi, Hyung-Min Kim, Chun-Song Youn, Kyu-Nam Park
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J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol. 2009;7(2):113-120. Published online December 31, 2009
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- Purpose: Though caustic injury of the upper digestive tract can lead to severe sequelae, there are few clinical studies on this subject. This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical characteristics, the endoscopic findings and the risk factors of the upper digestive lesions in patient with caustic ingestion injury. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 137 patients who ingested caustic materials and who visited to our emergency room from January, 2000 to June, 2009. Results: The most common ingested agent was sodium hypochlorite (44.5%), followed by acetic acid (19.7%), hydrochloric acid (11.7%) and lye (8.0%). Ingestion for suicidal attempt (62.0%) was more frequent than accidental ingestion (30.7%). Grade IIa injury was the most frequent finding on endoscopy of the esophagus and Grade 1 injury was the most frequent finding on endoscopy of the stomach. For the late sequelae, there were 9 cases (6.6%) of esophageal stricture and 2 cases (1.5%) of gastric outlet obstruction. The initial signs and symptoms did not correlate with the development of stricture, but leukocytosis, and grade III injury were related to the risk of developing stricture. Conclusion: Caustic injury of the upper gastrointestinal tract is frequently observed on early endoscopy and it can cause significant late sequelae such as stricture. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate these patients with regular follow up endoscopic examinations for the management of late sequelae.
- Evaluation of the Risk Factors for Aspiration Pneumonitis Following Drug Intoxication
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Dong-Hee Kim, Joo-Suk Oh, Yeon-Young Kyoung, Se-Min Choi, Young-Min Oh, Kyoung-Ho Choi, Kyu-Nam Park
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J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol. 2009;7(2):127-136. Published online December 31, 2009
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- Purpose: It is known that aspiration pneumonitis is associated with high mortality and morbidity following overdose. However, until now, few domestic studies on this subject have been conducted. The main aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors associated with aspiration pneumonitis in intubated patients following overdose. Methods: Among 654 adult overdosed patients who visited our institution from Jan. 2006 to June 2008, we enrolled 70 intubated patients within 24 hours after their overdose, and we reviewed the medical records to collect the data. This data was processed by univariate analysis, followed by multiple logistic regression analysis. P values <0.05 were deemed statistically significant. Results: In our study, a high incidence of pneumonitis was seen in the patients with an older age, a lower GCS and a high poisoning severity score or a high comorbidity score (p<0.05). Compared with the non-pneumonitis group, the pneumonitis group had a higher incidence of intubation (6% vs 61.8%, respectively, p<0.05). The main cause of intubation was a decreased mentality (68.6%). Older age, a high comorbidity score, irrigation without airway protection, relative hypoxemia and hyperkalemia were the risk factors of aspiration pneumonitis in the intubated overdosed patients (p<0.05). Among these factors, age, a high potassium level and airway protection might be significant predictors of aspiration penumonitis (p<0.05). Conclusion: Older age, a high potassium level and irrigation without proper airway protection may be the significant factors that can predict aspiration pneumonitis in patients who are intubated within 24 hours after overdose, although the further investigations on this are needed.
- A Case of Acute Psychosis after Sibutramine Ingestion
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Hyung-Min Kim, Seon-Hee Woo, Se-Min Choi, Byung-Hak So
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J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol. 2009;7(2):176-179. Published online December 31, 2009
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- A 38-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to agitation, nausea, chest discomfort, tachycardia and hypertension 6h after ingesting approximately 60 capsules of sibutramine. The woman developed the clinical features of acute psychosis, including auditory hallucination, agitation and paranoid ideation, on day 2. No relevant changes were detected on the laboratory examinations or on the electrocardiogram throughout the period of hospitalization. She was treated with risperidone and benzodiazepine. The symptoms subsequently resolved completely with cessation of the provoking agent. The patient was discharged on day 7 and the follow-up revealed no sequelae for 5 months.
- Two Cases of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) Following Pit Viper Envenomation
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Suk-Hwan Kim, Se-Min Choi, Young-Min Oh, Kyu-Nam Park, Won-Jae Lee, Kyung-Ho Choi
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J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol. 2006;4(2):137-142. Published online December 31, 2006
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- Our records include two cases of DIC in snakebite patients. One patient, who was 48-years old, was bitten in his left ankle 3 days before admission to our hospital. Initial symptoms were painful swelling, extensive ecchymosis, and persistent bleeding at the bite site. He visited and was admitted to a local hospital, but his condition did not improve with supportive care that included a single dose of antivenin. He was transferred to our hospital. His condition was compatible with DIC. We tried multi-dose antivenin therapy and blood product transfusion. At the seventh hospital day, the patient's symptoms were completely resolved. The other patient, who was 75 years old, was bitten in his right thumb. Initial symptoms were painful swelling of the right arm and persistent bleeding at the bite site, and within minutes of hospital admission, the patient experienced massive hematochezia. We peformed laboratory tests, the results of which were compatible with DIC, and the next day a sigmoidscopic examination showed ischemic colitis. We administered multi-dose antivenin therapy and blood product tranfusion. At the third hospital day mild anemia still existed, but the patient's clinical condition was improved. No signs or symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding were observed. In these two cases, multi-dose antivenin therapy and transfusion effectively resolved symptoms of DIC. Platelet concentrate transfusion was required only for acute thrombocytopenia. After resolution of DIC, platelet counts were returned to normal ranges within a few days. The authors propose that multidose antivenin therapy and coagulation factor transfusion might be useful for improving coagulopathy in snakebite patients.
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KSCT
Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology