%0 Journal Article
%T Recovery from a psychotropic drug overdose tends to depend on the time from ingestion to arrival, the Glasgow Coma Scale, and a sign of circulatory insufficiency on arrival
%J American journal of emergency medicine
%D 2007
%A Yanagawa, Youichi
%A Sakamoto, Tetsuya
%A Okada, Y.
%V 25
%N 7
%P 757-761
%X PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate which factors on arrival correlate with the duration of unconsciousness induced by a psychotropic drug overdose. BASIC PROCEDURE: Patients were 175 consecutive intubated patients unconscious due to psychotropic drug overdose. They were divided into 2 groups, an "early" group in which the patients were extubated within 2 days from hospitalization, and a "delayed" group who were not extubated within 2 days. MAIN FINDINGS: Glasgow Coma Scale (P = .001) scores in the early group were higher than those in the delayed group. The estimated time from ingestion to admission (P < .0001), creatine kinase level (P < .01), number of cases demonstrating shock (P < .05), shock index (P < .0001), and heart rate (P = .001) in the early group were smaller than those in the delayed group. Two subjects in the delayed group died of pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: Delayed arrival from ingestion, a low level of unconsciousness, and a sign of circulatory insufficiency in a patient with a psychotropic drug overdose were risk factors of a delayed recovery and death.<p /><p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Elsevier Publishing
%@ 0735-6757
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2006.12.006