The New York Times reports today on the increasing use of medical marijuana in pediatric patients, including for the treatment of A.D.H.D. Stephen Hinshaw, the chairman of the Department of Psychology at UC-Berkeley, is quoted as saying: “How many ways can you say ‘One of the worst ideas of all time’ ” Others argue that marijuana can be beneficial in …
The online journal Drug Safety Update has a good short discussion of colchicine toxicity in its November issue. It makes the point that colchicine has a narrow therapeutic window and is an especially nasty overdose since there is no antidote and it can cause multi-organ failure. The risk of toxicity is even greater in patients with renal or liver …
METHEMOGLOBINEMIA AND SULFHEMOGLOBINEMIA IN TWO PEDIATRIC PATIENTS AFTER INGESTION OF HYDROXYLAMINE SULFATE. Gharahbaghian L et al. Western J Emerg Med 2009;10:197-201.
Sulfhemoglobin is an abnormal hemoglobin formed when under oxidant stress a sulfur atom is incorporated into the porphyrin ring of hemoglobin. Sulfhemoglobin — like methemoglobin — does not carry oxygen. However, unlike methemoglobin, sulfhemoglobinemia has no antidote, is …
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION SECONDARY TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING: AN UNCOMMON PRESENTATION OF A COMMON CONDITION. CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. Tucciarone M et al. Amer J Therapeutics 2009:16:462-465.
This case report describes a 34-year-old woman who was brought to hospital after being discovered comatose in a running car. Work-up revealed an initial carboxyhemoglobin level of 10.3% (on oxygen …
CITALOPRAM OVERDOSE: LATE PRESENTATION OF TORSADES DE POINTES (TdP) WITH CARDIAC ARREST. Tarabar AF et al. J Med Toxicol 2008;4:101.
Abstract
Overdose of citalopram (Celexa) — a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant — can produce life-threatening cardiotoxicity. Manifestations include prolonged QTc interval and torsades de pointes. Because these effects are most likely related to a metabolite (didesmethylcitalopram), onset of significant …
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