Treatment of psychotropic drug poisoning

Psychotropic drug poisoning is a condition in which a patient overdoses on tranquilizers due to accidental or intentional occurrence of side effects of the drug. Depending on the severity of sedative poisoning, symptoms appear from mild to severe, even coma and can lead to death.

Psychotropic drugs, also known as tranquilizers, are drugs that treat mental and psychological disorders through nerve stimulation or inhibition. There are many types of psychotropic drugs such as:
Antipsychotics: Treatment of many types of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, mania, depression and drug-induced psychosis. Antidepressants such as tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,... Mental state stabilizers to reduce aggression, irritability; such as Carbamazepine, Sodium Valproate. Anxiolytics such as Benzodiazepines are used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, nervousness, and agitation. Other drugs such as anticholinergics (benztropine, benzhexol, and biperiden) are used to treat side effects caused by antipsychotics, mainly tremors and muscle stiffness. Beta-blockers can be used to reduce restlessness, reduce tremors, reduce nervousness, lower blood pressure, and slow heart rate.

2. Signs of Psychotropic Poisoning An overdose of tranquilizers can cause poisoning. Depending on the drug and dose used, signs of sedative toxicity can be mild or severe.
Altered mental status: An early manifestation, often neurasthenia, agitation, and may progress to coma or unresponsiveness (reflecting encephalopathy). Movement abnormalities: Convulsions, severe generalized muscle stiffness, dystonia, chorea, delayed reflex response. Gastrointestinal symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Tricyclic Antidepressant Poisoning: CNS depression, hypotension, convulsions, and anticholinergic toxicity occur within 6 hours of ingestion, usually the first 2 hours. Electrocardiographic manifestations include delayed intraventricular conduction causing dilation of the QRS complex (due to sodium channel blockade), and prolongation of the QT interval due to potassium channel blockade. Monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) toxicity occurs later, 12 to 24 hours after ingestion, with the common presentation of tachycardia and hypertension, followed by cardiovascular collapse with hypotension and bradycardia. slowness, central nervous system depression, possibly with convulsions. Serotonin syndrome: May occur with overdose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with xenobiotics. Symptoms include altered mental status, muscle stiffness (more on lower extremities than upper extremities), increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased body temperature, and prolonged QT interval. Antipsychotic toxicity causes extrapyramidal syndrome, acute dystonia, central nervous system depression, anticholinergic toxicity such as urinary retention, tachycardia, dry mouth. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: Agitated delirium or coma, muscle spasticity, hyperthermia, tachypnea, arrhythmia and blood pressure.

3. Treatment of psychotropic drug poisoning Treatment of psychotropic drug poisoning is mainly symptomatic treatment and supportive support.
First, check the patient's respiratory and circulatory status. Make sure the airway is clear. If cardiac arrest occurs, it is necessary to conduct cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately and quickly bring the patient to the nearest medical facility. The patient should be closely monitored and a monitor fitted for continuous monitoring. Patients with lethargy, delirium, coma, and poor airway control require endotracheal intubation. Gastric lavage after ensuring respiratory circulation Check blood sugar, if low, need intravenous glucose infusion Seizure treated with benzodiazepines Low blood pressure: Infusion or vasopressor therapy Narrow QRS complex tachycardia treated with sodium bicarbonate infusion Hyperthermia: Active antipyretic, benzodiazepine Alkalize the urine if rhabdomyolysis is present Hemodialysis, hemodialysis, Water balance, electrolytes and acid-base balance For areas near hospitals in the System Vinmec Medical can immediately transfer the patient to Vinmec hospital, the hospital always prepares enough human resources to deal with food poisoning, preventing the poisoning from continuing.
Vinmec International Hospital's Emergency Resuscitation Department operates 24/24 on all days of the week, including Saturdays and Sundays as well as holidays of the year. With diagnostic imaging equipment and Modern testing, especially specialized heavy-duty ambulances with a full range of supporting machines for severe patients traveling long distances in the subclinical field as well as in transporting serious patients on request. . The team of emergency doctors and nurses at the Emergency - Resuscitation Department of Vinmec International General Hospital are intensively and professionally trained, able to receive and handle urgent cases of patients, and at the same time always has coordinated with all specialties of the Hospital in a methodical and quick manner. At Vinmec Emergency and Resuscitation Department, patients will be examined, diagnosed, quickly and accurately treated and treated according to the priority of emergency until the critical condition is over.