Do you go to the hospital for overdose?

If you notice signs of overdose, including drug overdose, in Central California, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room (ER).

Can you go into a coma if you overdose?

During an overdose, the body experiences CNS depression, which can result in decreased rate of breathing, decreased heart rate, and loss of consciousness, possibly leading to coma or death.

How are drug overdoses handled in the hospital setting?

Handling drug overdoses in the hospital setting. Most hospitalists are well-versed in drugs that depress the central nervous system: benzodiazepines, seizure medications, opioids, muscle relaxants, antipsychotics and, of course, alcohol. Most antidepressants “both tricyclics and the newer agents “and valproic acid,…

Who are the doctors who treat drug overdoses?

And patients, even when treated “by the books,” may not turn around as quickly as you want. Those problems are common, said emergency physician and toxicologist Kennon Heard, MD, who spoke about treating drug overdoses at the Society of Hospital Medicine’s annual meeting in San Diego.

Can a drug overdose cause hypotension in a patient?

Calcium channel-blockers and beta-blockers are the main suspects, although such dysrhythmias can be caused by digoxin overdose or massive overdoses of either local anesthetics or cocaine. Because many drugs that cause slow rhythms also depress myocardial function, patients who’ve overdosed on them will have marked hypotension.

What happens in the first few hours after an overdose?

With any overdose that results in admission, the first few hours determine not only the outcome, but also the pace at which patients recover. The key is identifying the important clinical effects.

Handling drug overdoses in the hospital setting. Most hospitalists are well-versed in drugs that depress the central nervous system: benzodiazepines, seizure medications, opioids, muscle relaxants, antipsychotics and, of course, alcohol. Most antidepressants “both tricyclics and the newer agents “and valproic acid,…

And patients, even when treated “by the books,” may not turn around as quickly as you want. Those problems are common, said emergency physician and toxicologist Kennon Heard, MD, who spoke about treating drug overdoses at the Society of Hospital Medicine’s annual meeting in San Diego.

With any overdose that results in admission, the first few hours determine not only the outcome, but also the pace at which patients recover. The key is identifying the important clinical effects.

How are drug overdoses treated in the ICU?

“We see patients with a much longer ICU course because someone gave them multiple doses of lorazepam,” Dr. Heard pointed out. “They’re overly sedated when they might have been ready to extubate.” At the other end of the spectrum are overdoses from drugs that activate the central nervous system.