Citation

Grémain V, Chevillard L, Saussereau E, Schnell G, Megarbane B. Clin. Toxicol. (Phila) 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15563650.2021.1891243

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Caffeine poisoning may cause life-threatening arrhythmias and hemodynamic failure. We aimed to investigate the toxicokinetics (TK), toxicodynamics (TD) and TK/TD relationships of caffeine in a case of poisoning. CASE REPORT: A 47-year-old male ingested pure anhydrous caffeine powder (70 g) in a suicide attempt. He developed agitation, tachycardia, and two episodes of ventricular fibrillation treated with defibrillation and tracheal intubation. He was successfully managed using intravenous infusions of esmolol and norepinephrine.

METHODS: We modelled the time-course of plasma caffeine concentration (TK study using online liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry), the time-course of blood lactate concentration and infusion rates of esmolol and norepinephrine (TD studies) and the TK/TD relationships.

RESULTS: Caffeine TK was of first-order peaking at 258 mg/L with an elimination half-life of 46.2 h and clearance of 2.2 L/h. Caffeine-related effects on blood lactate (peak, 10 mmol/L at 1.25 h postingestion) were described by a Bateman-type equation (formation rate, 0.05 mmol/mg.h; elimination rate, 0.9 mmol/mg.h). Esmolol and norepinephrine infusion rates to reverse caffeine-related cardiovascular effects (peaks at 51-h postingestion) fitted well with a sigmoidal E(max) model (EC(50), 180.0 and 225.9 mg/L, respectively; Hill coefficient, 10.0).

CONCLUSION: Massive caffeine ingestion is characterized by prolonged caffeine elimination. TK/TD relationships are helpful to quantify caffeine-related catecholaminergic effects.

Language: en

Keywords

poisoning; Caffeine; esmolol; norepinephrine; toxicodynamics; toxicokinetics