Archive for July 2010
Fat emulsion therapy and tricyclic antidepressant overdose: first case
July 17, 2010, 1:15 pm
Intravenous fat emulsion to reverse haemodynamic instability from intentional amitriptyline overdose. Engels PT, Davidow JS. Resuscitation 2010;81:1037-1039.
This case report, from Edmonton Alberta, describes a 27-year-old man who ingested — by history — 4.25 g of amitriptyline. In the emergency department he was unresponsive with a GCS of 3, BP 67/40, and QRS interval 240 msec. On arrival he …
Nigeria lead disaster
July 16, 2010, 1:27 pm
Notes from the Field: Outbreak of Acute Lead Poisoning Among Children Aged <5 Years — Zamfara, Nigeria, 2010. MMWR July 16, 2010;59:846.
In this week’s issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC reports on their investigation of an outbreak of severe lead poisoning in Samfara, Nigeria that had become evident within the last year. …
Pediatric hand-sanitizer ingestions not always benign
July 14, 2010, 11:42 pm
Acute Ethanol Poisoning in a 4-Year-Old as a Result of Ethanol-Based Hand-Sanitizer Ingestion. Engel JS, Spiller HA. Pediatr Emerg Care July 2010;26:508-509.
Several large studies have suggested previously that pediatric ingestion of alcohol-based hand sanitizers result in — at most — mild and inconsequential effects. This case report describes a 4-year-old girl who developed mental status depression requiring …
Naphyrone (nrg-1) banned in Britain
July 13, 2010, 12:01 pm
The government in the U.K. has initiated steps to make the street drug naphyrone (nrg-1) a class B substance. As The Independent reports, this follows a recommendation last week by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to ban the substance.
Naphyrone — a triple reuptake inhibitor — increases levels of free norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. There …
Tox Tunes #25: Cocaine Blues (Luke Jordan 1927)
July 12, 2010, 11:34 am
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6tfNVbgwu4&feature=related
Samuel Charters described the songs of Luke Jordan (1892 – 1952) as having “a beautiful sweetness and a kind of wry wistfulness that made them unforgettable”. Jordan was popular during the 1920s in the area around Lynchburg, Virginia. He did sessions for Victor Records both in Charlotte NC and New York City.
For a complete Luke Jordan discography, click here.
Street drug update: K2, ecstasy
July 10, 2010, 2:12 pm
The New York Times has a good article today summarizing the current legal situation in the United States involving “synthetic marijuana” products such as K2 and “Spice”. K2 consists of herbal mixtures laced with research chemicals that act as specific agonists at cannibinoid-1 receptors. These mixtures are sold openly at head shops and convenience stores, often labelled as “incense” or …
Fox News discovers nutmeg abuse
July 9, 2010, 12:02 pm
A Fox News story this week reported that teenagers are ingesting and snorting nutmeg to produce a “marijuana-like buzz” and hallucinations, undoubtedly inspiring some youngsters to experiment with what is — by all accounts — a very unpleasant “high”. While the reporter researched the story on YouTube, she unfortunately did not bother to interview a physician or toxicologist to provide scientific background.
For the record, nutmeg abuse is an old story. Nutmeg — derived from the Myristica fragrans tree — contains . . .
How does the body handle mephedrone and other designer drugs?
July 7, 2010, 8:54 pm
Metabolism of Designer Drugs of Abuse: An Updated Review. Meyer MR, Maurer HH. Curr Drug Metab 2010;11:468-482.
This article is scholarly, comprehensive, and nearly unreadable. (To get some taste of just how impenetrable it is, just try making it through the abstract without at least 3 cans of Red Bull.) If one has a special interest in this topic …