1. ACUTE POISONING IN
ADULTS
PROF .Dr. Abdel-aziz Ghanem

2. Acute Poisoning in the
Emergency Department
• Common - 3-5% of ED attendances
• 900 Deaths per year
• Some of the highest rates of deliberate
poisoning in in Egypt than Europe
• Often multiple drugs
• DON’T FORGET ALCOHOL !!

3. Summary of Lecture
• General Principles in the Management of
ANY Poisoning
• Specific management options with certain
substances
–
–
–
–
Paracetamol
Opiates (Heroin, Methadone, Morphine)
Salicylates (Aspirin)
Tricyclic Antidepressants (e.g Dothiepin)

4. General Management -History
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Applies to ANY episode of Poisoning
WHAT
HOW MUCH (Ideally mg/Kg)
WHEN
WHAT ELSE (Including Alcohol)
WHY
Use Paramedics, friends, relatives, anyone!!

5. General Management -1
•
•
•
•
•
•
A (Airway)
B (Breathing)
C (Circulation)
D (Disability-AVPU/ Glasgow Coma Scale)
DEFG ( Don’t ever forget the Glucose)
GET A SET OF BASIC OBSERVATIONS

6. General Management -2
• Use all your senses, search for the clues
• LOOK
– Track Marks
– Pupil Size
• FEEL
– Temperature, Sweating
• SMELL
– Alcohol

7. Specific Management Options-1
• DECREASING DRUG ABSORPTION
– Gastric Lavage ( Unpopular - need to protect
the airway, may push drug through pylorus into
small bowel.)
– Adsorbants ( Activated Charcoal , usually
within 1 hour of ingestion, longer repeated
doses in drugs that delay gastric emptying e.g.
Aspirin)

8. Specific Management Options -2
• INCREASING DRUG ELIMINATION
– Alkaline Diuresis (Aspirin)
– Haemodialysis (Aspirin)

9. Specific Management Options - 3
• ANTAGONISING THE EFFECTS OF
THE POISON
– Desferrioxamine (IRON)
– Naloxone (OPIATES)
– N Acetylcysteine (PARACETAMOL)

10. Specific Poisons- Paracetamol
• Commonest drug used
• 50% of all Self Poisoning Episodes
• 100- 200 deaths per year
• DANGEROUS AND PEOPLE DON’T
KNOW IT. YOU FEEL WELL AND
THEN THE LIVER FAILURE SETS IN..

11. Paracetamol-Normal Metabolism
•
•
•
•
•
Paracetamol converted to:
N-Acetyl-p-benzoquinonamine (TOXIC)
This is conjugated with Glutathione
Glutathione stored in the body
Produces a NON TOXIC metabolite

12. Paracetamol Metabolism in
Overdose
• Glutathione stores are used up by the excess
Paracetamol
• Toxic Metabolite build up
• Binds IRREVERSIBLY to Hepatic Cell
membranes
• Resulting in LIVER NECROSIS

13. Paracetamol Overdosemanagement
• Initial ABC ( usually well systemically)
• Get a good history
– TIME TAKEN, AMOUNT
– Any other medication
– History of Liver disease
• N-Acetylcysteine. Shown to be
advantageous if given in the first 10 hours

14. N - Acetylcysteine
• Specific antidote used for Paracetamol
• Provides the Sulphydryl groups needed to
increase the availability of Glutathione
• So that Body can turn the TOXIC
metabolite into the non toxic form and
prevent Liver Cell Damage and NECROSIS
• Problem: Not shown to be effective after 15
hours

15. Paracetamol Management
• Able to measure levels of Paracetamol in
the blood.
• Helps to guide whether amount taken is
enough to be Hepatotoxic
• IF IN DOUBT start treatment before the
Paracetamol levels get back to save time

16. Paracetamol ManagementPitfalls
• Patients with Liver Disease/ Alcoholics
– Depleted stores of Glutathione will start to get
toxic build up sooner than healthy people
• Staggered Overdoses
– Levels unreliable
• After 15 hours- what do you do??

17. Paracetamol Management
• TIMEBOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN
• IF HAVE LATE PRESENTATION HAVE
TO MONITOR FOR IMPENDING LIVER
FAILURE
• REFER TO SPECIALIST LIVER UNIT
• PEOPLE DIE FROM THIS

18. Opiate Poisoning- Features
• Common (particularly in BRI)
• Heroin, Methadone, Analgaesics in Elderly
• Action on the mu receptors giving the
effects in overdose.
– 1. PINPOINT PUPILS
– 2. RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION
– 3.COMA

19. Opiate Overdose-Management
•
•
•
•
•
INITIAL MANAGEMENT
A
B
C
D

20. Opiate Overdose-Management 2
• NALOXONE
–
–
–
–
–
–
Opioid antagonist
High Affinity for the opiate receptors
Little other effects
Rapid onset
Effects last 2-4 hrs, may need repeated doses
Give I-M or I-V

21. Salicylate (Aspirin) Poisoning
• Toxicity occurs due to disturbance in AcidBase Balance
• 1. Respiratory Alkalosis
• 2. Metabolic Acidosis

22. Aspirin Poisoning- mechanism 1
• 1.Direct stimulation of the respiratory
centre makes you overbreathe.
Hyperventilation and Respiratory Alkalosis.
• 2. Kidney attempts to compensate for the
alkalosis by excreting alkali to give you a
metabolic Acidosis
• 3. Aspirin inhibits the normal metabolic
pathways

23. Aspirin poisoning- mechanism 2
• 3. Aspirin inhibits the normal metabolic
pathways, so you get failure of the normal
metabolism of CHO, Fats and Protein.
– Build up of Organic Acids
– KETONES, LACTATE AND PYRUVATE
– CAUSES MORE METABOLIC ACIDOSIS
• METABOLIC ACIDOSIS, BAD NEWS

24. Aspirin Poisoning Clinical Features
• COMMON FEATURES:
– Vomiting, Dehydration, Tinnitus, Vertigo
– Sweating, Bounding pulses, Hyperventilation
• UNCOMMON FEATURES:
– Confusion, Disorientation, Coma, Convulsions
– Haematemesis, Hyperpyrexia, clotting
abnormalities, renal failure

25. Aspirin Overdose-Management
• Initial Supportive therapy. If small amounts
and asymptomatic may need no treatment
• Management tailored according to the
amount taken
• Able to take Salicylate levels to help guide
treatment options

26. Aspirin Management - General
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D

27. Aspirin Management - Specific
• When extremely high levels of Aspirin have
been ingested and the patients are
symptomatic steps may be taken to• 1. DECREASE ABSORPTION
• 2. INCREASE DRUG ELIMINATION

28. Aspirin- Decreasing absorption
• Activated Charcoal
– Given in those who have taken more than
250mg/Kg body weight less than 1 hour ago
• Gastric Lavage
– May be considered in those who have taken
more than 500mg/kg body less than 1 hour ago.
Steps must be taken to protect the airway

29. Aspirin-Increasing Drug
Elimination
• Urinary Alkalinisation
– If you increase urinary pH from 5 to 8 there is a
10-20 fold increase in the renal salicylate
clearance
– This is done by giving an infusion of Sodium
Bicarbonate. Care must be taken because this in
itself is dangerous and can cause severe Acid
Base Disturbances

30. Aspirin- Increasing Drug
Elimination
• HAEMODIALYSIS
– Used in severe life threatening overdose
– Aims to correct the Acid Base disturbances
while removing the Salicylate

31. Tricyclic Antidepressants
• Seen relatively frequently
• Can be fatal
• Can be very symptomatic, effects made
worse by alcohol
• Main effects are on the Heart and Brain
• Effects are
– 1. Anticholinergic
– 2. Quinidine like

32. TCA Overdose- Clinical features
• ANTICHOLINERGIC EFFECTS
– Dry Mouth, Dry Eyes, Dilated Pupils, Urinary
Retention, Blurred Vision, Dizziness,
Palpitations, Pyrexia without sweating
– CNS Effects- Confusion, Delerium, Coma,
Convulsions, Myoclonus and Respiratory
Depression

33. TCA Overdose Clinical Features
• Cardiac Toxicity (quinidine effects)
– Heart Block, Asystole, Bradycardia,
Tachycardia, Ventricular Dysrythmias
– ECG Changes - broadening of QRS complex,
Widened QT Interval

34. TCA Overdose- Management 1
• Mainstay of initial management is
Supportive. Try not to give other drugs
ontop with a few specific exceptions
• A- May need intubating
• B
• C- Give IV fluids if low BP
• D -Control convulsions with Diazepam

35. TCA Overdose Management 2
• Activated Charcoal if more than 4 mg/Kg
within 1 hour.
– N.B WATCH OUT FOR THE AIRWAY
• Correct Hypoxia with Oxygen
• Correct Acidosis with Na Bic
• Correct any arrythmias with Na Bic (i.e
start by controlling the acid base
disturbance)

36. QUESTIONS
?

37. SUMMARY
• Get as much history as you can, know your
enemy
• Mainstay of any poisoning is Supportive
• Don’t Forget the ABC
• For specific substances there maybe
antidotes
• For Specific circumstances consider
decreasing the absorption or increasing the
elimination of the drug.