Drug overdose
A
drug overdose occurs when a
chemical substance (i.e.
drug) is ingested in quantities and/or
concentrations large enough to overwhelm the
homeostasis of a
living organism, causing severe
illness or
death. Essentially it is a type of
poisoning.
The word "overdose" implies that there is a safe dosage and therefore the term overdose is commonly only applied to
drugs, not
poisons.
Drug overdoses are sometimes caused intentionally to commit
suicide, but many drug overdoses are accidental and are usually the result of either irresponsible behavior (such as overindulging at a party), or the misreading of product labels. Other causes of overdose (especially heroin) include multiple drug use with counterindications (cocaine/amphetamines/alcohol) or use after a period of abstinence.
A common unintentional overdose in young children involves multi-vitamins containing
iron.
Iron is a component of the
hemoglobin molecule in
blood, used to transport
oxygen to living cells. When taken in small amounts, iron allows the body to replenish
hemoglobin, but in large amounts it causes severe
pH imbalances in the body. If this overdose is not treated with
chelation therapy, it can lead to death.
Symptoms of overdose occur in various forms:
* Exaggerated form of normal action (
sleepiness on antiepileptics,
hypoglycemia on
insulin)
* Other effects due to chemical properties of the medication (
metabolic acidosis in
aspirin,
liver failure due to
paracetamol)
* Non-specific symptoms due to
central nervous system irritation (
confusion,
vertigo,
nausea,
vomiting)
Diagnosis and management are generally straightforward if the drug is known. The diagnosis can be very difficult if the patient cannot (or refuses to) state which medication has been overdosed. At times, certain symptoms and signs exhibited by the patient, or blood tests, can reveal the drug in question. Even without knowing the drug, most patients can be treated with general supportive measures.
In some instances, empirical
antidotes may be administered if there is sufficient indication that the patient has overdosed on a particular type of medication:
naloxone in
opioids and
flumazenil in
benzodiazepines. Rapid reversal of symptoms may serve as proof in these cases.
Common types of
drugs that are overdosed on:
*
Barbiturates
**
Seconal**
Nembutal*
Narcotics
**
Heroin*
Stimulants
**
Cocaine*
Ethyl Alcohol**
Alcoholic beverages
*
Prescription drugs
**drug "cocktails", or a combination of numerous drugs.
*
List of deaths by accidental drug overdose
