What is the name of pill poisoning? Treatment for drug overdose

13.07.2021

As a rule, before taking drugs, they ask what pills can be poisoned, and only when they are being treated with one or another drug and do not know the permissible doses. It is with an overdose that intoxication occurs, leading to harmful and sometimes irreversible consequences.

Causes of intoxication

The main factors that cause severe intoxication when taking medicines are:

self-treatment;
taking a high dosage of medication;
intake of prohibited substances that are not suitable for age and health status;
death often occurs in childhood, when babies accidentally swallow an "adult" pill;
intoxication, which was the main purpose of the suicide;
poisoning that occurred against the background of the use of alcoholic beverages;
an incorrect combination of drugs, in which one drug is prohibited during treatment with another.

It is important to understand that the allowable dose is individual. For each patient, the dosage leading to poisoning is different.

Find out how it manifests itself and why the drug is prohibited during pregnancy and lactation.

The following tablets from the NSAID group can be poisoned: ibuprofen, paracetamol, Aspirin, Analgin, Nimesil, Ketarolac, indomethacin and its analogues.

Clinical manifestations of an overdose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are manifested in the form of a strong analgesic effect and a decrease in body temperature below subfebrile acceptable levels. Due to the desire to speed up the process of pain relief and reduce temperatures, patients may deliberately take high doses of the drug.

Aspirin is a medicine that thins the blood and has an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory effect. In childhood, the drug cannot be used due to the possible development of Reye's syndrome.

Symptoms of an overdose of NSAIDs:

gastrointestinal disorders, intestinal bleeding;

attacks of acute pancreatitis;

attacks of acute liver, liver failure, renal colic.

Antibacterial and sulfa drugs

Drugs widely used in the treatment of bacterial infection. Antibiotics are indicated to patients after consultation with a doctor. Dosage and timing of treatment must be strictly observed (see).

In the case of self-medication, when the patient determines the type of drug and dosage on his own, multiple complications and overdose are possible. Depending on the group of antibiotics, the symptoms of an overdose differ:

penicillins, cephalosporins - gastrointestinal upset, allergies, arrhythmia, mental agitation;

tetracyclines - epigastric pain, vomiting, convulsions, Quincke's edema;

chloramphenicol - gastrointestinal upset, pain, lack of appetite;

fluoroquinolones - renal and hepatic failure, cardiac arrhythmia, pre-syncope.

Antihistamine medicines

Drugs help treat allergies of various manifestations. The mechanism of action is associated with the blockade of the production of the main mediator of allergy. Modern medicines also have a mild sedative effect.

Which pills from the antihistamine group can poison you and die: Loratadin, Diphenhydramine, Suprastin, Diazolin, Pipolfen (see).

Overdose symptoms usually appear after 15-30 minutes. If a high dose of an antihistamine has been used, death occurs within an hour. The lethal outcome is primarily associated with damage to the central nervous system.

Symptoms of poisoning:

gastrointestinal disorder;

trembling of the limbs;

cardiopalmus;

convulsions similar to epileptic;

drowsiness;

increased sweating;

temperature increase;

gradual falling into a coma.

Antihypertensive agents

This is a common group of drugs that reduce high blood pressure. Thanks to these drugs, you can quickly reduce high blood pressure and prevent a heart attack. The use of such drugs should be under the supervision of a physician.

Note!The intake of beta-blockers by patients with bronchial asthma leads to the development of lightning death. Be careful!

Antihypertensive drugs include: Captopril, Enalapril, Amiodarone, Metoprolol, Nebivalol. Symptoms of an overdose are manifested in the form of a sharp decrease in pressure, resulting in attacks of nausea and vomiting, impaired consciousness, respiratory arrest, arrhythmia.

What to do in case of poisoning with different drugs?

The first thing to do is to call an ambulance specialist. It is important to provide first aid in a timely manner:

wash the stomach;

perform symptomatic therapy;

give the patient sorbents;

drink plentifully.

If a person has lost consciousness, it is necessary to turn the head of the victim to one side, bend the legs at the knees, raise, fix. This improves blood flow to the head and heart.

Most people who get sick do not rush to see a doctor. First of all, they search the Internet for diseases with similar symptoms, independently diagnose themselves and read about treatment. And if a drug is described on the Internet, the advertisement of which they saw on TV today or which their neighbor praised, they do not doubt its effectiveness. Unfortunately, drug poisoning is becoming a big problem. In most cases it develops due to uncontrolled intake of drugs by the population. In this article, we examined the main causes of drug poisoning, its clinical manifestations and ways to provide first aid.

Causes of drug poisoning

Drug poisoning is a common medical pathology.. In our country, in most cases, it is provoked by the population's distrust of doctors and unwillingness to contact them. The following are the main reasons why drug poisoning develops:

Taking the drug in the wrong, overdose develops as a result of self-medication, or non-compliance with the doctor's recommendations. Even harmless, at first glance, ascorbic acid can provoke severe poisoning in case of an overdose;
The use of large doses of drugs by children who found them at home. Kids do not know about the danger of beautiful red pills and cannot be responsible for their actions. If you have a child in the house, keep all medicines out of the reach of him;
Suicide by drug overdose is common;
Combining drugs with alcohol is a common cause of drug poisoning in adults. Most drugs categorically cannot be combined with alcohol;
Taking several drugs that are incompatible with each other. All drug combinations should be discussed with the attending physician;
Using expired medicines or medicines that have been stored at the wrong temperature.

Remember that safe treatment with drugs can only occur if they are prescribed by a doctor. In most cases, the doctor needs to individually select the dosage and frequency of administration, determine the compatibility of various drugs with each other. When drawing up a treatment regimen, the doctor takes into account the individual characteristics of the patient, his gender, weight, age, and comorbidities.

Clinical signs of drug poisoning

The symptoms of pill poisoning depend on the drug the person has taken. For each drug they are individual. In acute poisoning, the patient's condition deteriorates rapidly, during the first hour.. Below are the signs of poisoning with tablets, depending on the group of the drug.

Sleeping pills, sedatives, antidepressants, tranquilizers

Members of these drug groups affect the central nervous system and the work of the heart, breathing. It is with their use that most drug-induced suicides are associated.

Acute poisoning by them is manifested by the following symptoms:

Breathing disorder. Due to the oppression of the respiratory center, a person begins to breathe slowly and superficially, he develops respiratory failure. It is accompanied by pallor of the skin and mucous membranes;
The appearance of general weakness, drowsiness, apathy. First, the patient falls asleep soundly, gradually, with an increase in the effect of drugs, he is loaded into a deep coma;
Violation of the cardiovascular system. The pulse slows down, becomes thready, blood pressure drops;
Hallucinations and convulsions - appear due to damage to the central nervous system.

Antihistamine (antiallergic) drugs

Antihistamines are taken to stop an allergic attack. In the acute period, for example, with angioedema angioedema, it is difficult for a person to control the dose of the drug taken. He strives to drink all the pills that he has on hand for a faster recovery.

Poisoning from these drugs can be fatal.. It is manifested by the following symptoms:

Pupil dilation. It becomes large, and reacts poorly to changes in lighting;
Psychological emotional arousal and a feeling of anxiety, which quickly turns into lethargy, drowsiness and general weakness;
Hallucinations of a visual or auditory nature.

Pain relievers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Analgin, Diclofenac, Paracetamol, Aspirin are the inhabitants of many home medicine cabinets. Painkillers can be very dangerous if taken incorrectly.. Drug poisoning by them is manifested by the following symptoms:

Violation of the digestive system. The patient develops heartburn, epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
Violation of consciousness, up to a deep coma;
Convulsions, hallucinations;
Perhaps the development of hypothermia - a critical decrease in body temperature.

Please note that children under 12 are strictly prohibited from taking Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic acid). They can develop a deadly complication called Reye's syndrome.

Heart drugs

Heart drugs are potent drugs. When they overdose damage to the respiratory, nervous and cardiovascular systems. In case of drug poisoning, symptoms develop rapidly, death can occur in the first 20-30 minutes.

Symptoms:

A sharp decrease or drop in blood pressure (depending on the drug);
The appearance of malfunctions in the work of the heart, rhythm disturbances;
Slow breathing;
Headache and general weakness, feeling of anxiety and fear;
Impairment of consciousness, coma;
Seizures.

First aid for drug poisoning

What to do in case of drug poisoning in order to avoid dire consequences? First of all, stop panicking and call an ambulance. While the person is conscious, find out from him the dose and the name of the drug with which he was poisoned.

While waiting for the ambulance, begin to provide him with first aid. At home, you can help him with the following manipulations.

This procedure is the first one you should do. It can be carried out only if the person is conscious and his central nervous system is not disturbed.

In order to clean the gastric cavity on your own, you should drink one liter of plain water at neutral (room temperature) in one gulp. For children, 1-2 glasses will be enough. Then the water must be pulled out. In order to provoke vomiting, you should press two fingers on the root of the tongue.

Repeat washing several times. If the vomit contains only drunk water, the stomach is cleared.

Please note that you do not need to use a solution of potassium permanganate to cleanse the gastric cavity. By itself, it is dangerous to humans and does not bear any benefit. Plain water will suffice.

Taking drugs from the group of sorbents

Preparations from the group of sorbents should be available in every home first aid kit.. These medicines can be taken independently when providing first aid to a poisoned person.

With drug poisoning, any sorbents are suitable, but those that are taken in liquid form will act faster - these are Smecta, Enterosgel, Atoxil, Polysorb. But if you only have activated charcoal at home, use it.

Plentiful drink

Fluid should be given to the patient little by little.. Drinking in one gulp will cause repeated vomiting.

You can drink both ordinary and mineral water. The main thing is that it should be gas-free. You can also drink sweet black tea (not hot).

What to do if the patient has lost consciousness

With severe drug poisoning, a violation of consciousness may occur. If you notice that the person has stopped responding to your voice or tactile touch, looks asleep, suspect a coma.

Lay the patient on a flat and hard surface, turn his head to one side. This must be done to prevent suffocation with your own sunken tongue or vomit.

Before the arrival of paramedics, check his breathing and pulse. You can find out if the patient is breathing by placing your hand on his chest. When you inhale, it will rise, when you exhale, it will fall back.

Check the pulse on the carotid artery. It runs along the side of the neck and is close to the skin. It is very easy to feel the pulse on it.

In case of respiratory arrest and heartbeat, immediately begin chest compressions.

Medical care and treatment

Tell the ambulance doctors about what happened, name the drug that poisoned the patient and the approximate number of pills he took.

Doctors will put the patient on a drip, administer the necessary drugs to stabilize breathing and cardiac activity.

If the patient is unconscious, doctors clean the stomach through a tube.

In case of drug poisoning, patients are hospitalized in the intensive care unit. Patients in a stable condition are being treated in toxicology.

In case of poisoning with some drugs, the introduction of an antidote is indicated, for example, acetylcysteine helps with intoxication with Paracetamol.

In severe poisoning, hemodialysis is indicated - blood purification.

The duration of treatment and prognosis depend on many factors. The faster first aid was provided, the more chances a person has for a full recovery.

Drug poisoning most often develops through the fault of the patients themselves. Uncontrolled intake of medicines, self-medication and distrust of doctors often lead to severe pathological conditions. When the first signs of drug poisoning appear, you should immediately seek medical help. Only qualified doctors can save a patient's life.

It is known that about a quarter of all the victims in the world are people who got poisoned from pills. Situations can be very different. Perhaps the person immediately turned to some specialists who prescribed him certain drugs. The interaction of some of them can cause poisoning from the tablets. The more drugs you take at the same time, the higher the risk of poisoning becomes. Sometimes grandparents leave vials of pills in prominent places, endangering the health of kids who mistake them for colorful candies. Sometimes there are cases of suicide.

Doctors point out that the risk is minimal when taking two or three drugs at the same time, but it increases twenty-fold or more if there are six or seven drugs. In such cases, you can expect a wide variety of adverse effects on the body. After poisoning, there is a feeling of nausea, vomiting, skin rashes and internal hemorrhages are possible. In some particularly serious situations, death is possible.

Most of the world's population takes some form of medication every day. Thirty percent do it as prescribed by a doctor, the rest engage in dangerous self-medication. Poisoning from pills is also possible if they are combined with certain products. For example, warfarin, a blood clotting drug, should not be taken at the same time as cranberry juice. Dairy products affect the action of antibiotics, alcohol at times enhances the effect on the body of sedatives, drugs with paracetamol and antihypertensive (lowering pressure) drugs.

What to do in case of poisoning with pills? Unfortunately, poisoning from pills can not always be determined immediately. Only after a few hours, the first symptoms may appear in the form of nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, severe pain in the abdomen, convulsions, dizziness, drowsiness, disorientation, and in some cases, loss of consciousness. During this time, they manage to be absorbed into the blood, so the first thing to do is call an ambulance. The victim should be allowed to drink as much warm liquid as possible and try to induce vomiting. This will help with the medicines left in it. The first remedy in such situations is activated charcoal. It should always be in You can give up to twenty tablets at the same time. They will help neutralize the effect of drugs. You can use any other type of absorbent, but if at the moment they are not at hand, make it yourself. To do this, take at least ten chicken proteins, beat them strongly and force the victim to eat them.

What to do in case of poisoning with pills and complication of the situation? In the event that the victim has taken a large dose of sleeping pills, there may be a loss of consciousness, a decrease in pressure, cardiac arrest. Immediately give the patient a large dose of strong coffee or tea, try to bring him to consciousness, induce vomiting (only when the person is conscious), do an enema and call an ambulance. Do not let the victim lie down and fall asleep, as this is life threatening.

Poisoning from pills, after first aid, and the elimination of all unpleasant symptoms and consequences, it is necessary to continue to treat at home. Quite often, after poisoning, the stomach hurts. This situation is stressful for him, so he needs to be allowed to rest for one or two days. You can drink tea from garden thyme, and garden marjoram. Gradually switch to light food and take it in small portions. You can do cold compresses on the stomach area.

One of the main causes of poisoning is the excess of permissible doses, so remember that different drugs may contain the same substance in their composition. Always check with your doctor, especially if you have liver, kidney, stomach or intestinal problems. Do not self-medicate and refrain from drinking alcohol.

A side effect of self-medication is often drug poisoning. In order not to harm your health, you should correctly determine the diagnosis and provide the necessary assistance to both yourself and loved ones.

Common causes of poisoning

Each medicine must have a number of indications and contraindications. If the list of side effects is not indicated in the instructions for it, then it helps only at the subconscious level. It's just self-indulgence. What actually heals affects all the functioning systems of the body.

So, drug poisoning is the most common trend. The following household actions can cause it:

suicide attempt;
storage of a first-aid kit in a place accessible to kids (ampoules are bright and multi-colored, so they always attract the attention of children);
self-medication is often accompanied by an incorrect pill regimen or spontaneous dosage;
incompatibility with other drugs;
parallel diseases (especially those organs that remove chemicals from the body: the liver or kidneys);
treatment with expired medicines (temperature storage standards are often violated);
allergy to the main component that is part of the product;
inattention (when taking pills can be confused);
overdose caused by non-compliance with the doctor's advice (sadly, but sometimes the instructions indicate doses based on the age of the patient, they should also be calculated adjusted for his weight);
drinking alcohol (reacting with alcohol, many drugs begin to behave aggressively).

By carefully examining the causes of drug poisoning, you can already now protect your loved ones from tragic consequences.

In this regard, the first-aid kit should be stored in a closed and inaccessible place. All dice should be in packages with instructions. And when you get sick, you must scrupulously adhere to the recommendations of doctors and take dosages seriously. How then to recognize the symptoms of drug poisoning?

The enemy must be known by sight

Before considering the signs of intoxication, it is worth knowing the classification of substances that fall into the risk zone.

Experts distinguish the following main categories:

Painkillers. Patients take them, taking into account the strength of the pain, and not the individual capabilities of the body. Basically, these are anti-inflammatory drugs such as: Analgin, Aspirin, Diphenhydramine, Paracetamol.
Antidepressants (hypnotics or tranquilizers). According to statistics, death occurs when more than 1-2 g of a substance is consumed within 24 hours.
Anti-allergic.
Isoniazid (used in the treatment of tuberculosis).
Diuretics.
Intoxication caused by antibiotics.
Iron supplements.
Anti-cold: Teraflu, Flukold, Coldflu, Combigrip.
Tablets or teas for weight loss. When using up to 10 units of this product, a person may experience a crisis, even with a fatal outcome.
Antihypertensive drugs (normalize blood pressure).

This list contains only the main groups, but there are many more. In this regard, if the patient's treatment is closely related to these drugs, then you need to be extremely careful in order to notice drug poisoning in time. Here are its main features.

Symptoms

Of course, each organism reacts in its own way to certain chemical elements. Therefore, it is natural that when using them, common ailments will appear.

It is worth remembering that drug overdose and antibiotic poisoning can be different.

In the first case, the patient can observe:

the appearance of seizures;
drowsiness;
inability to navigate in space;
discoloration of the skin (near the lips it acquires a bluish tint);
breathing is intermittent;
the pupils noticeably decrease (but when taking No-shpy or Papaverine, they, on the contrary, expand as much as possible);
headache and dizziness;
auditory or visual hallucinations;
gag reflexes.

It has been scientifically proven that the body reacts differently to each individual group of medicines. Still, the main signs of poisoning are:

Violation of the gastrointestinal tract. Sharp and cutting pains in various parts of the abdomen. Nausea, accompanied by vomiting, as well as diarrhea. There is profuse salivation and sweating. Lack of appetite.
Mental disorders. Manifestation of fainting or delusional state. The patient may have nervous breakdowns, severe agitation, psychosis, or even a state of euphoria. This is a consequence of an overdose of cardiac glycoside or isoniazid. In this case, the patient should be immediately referred to the cardiology department.
Allergic rash. Spots or small pimples may appear in the décolleté area, on the buttocks or on the face. Poisoning with drugs, which include iodine, is accompanied by unnatural pallor of the skin.
Specific odor from the mouth. It may look like horse sweat or caustic chemicals. The patient also complains of dry mouth and throat. He is constantly thirsty.
Pain under the right hypochondrium and in the lumbar region. These are alarming signals of incorrect functioning of the kidneys and liver, which, in turn, are responsible for the removal of toxins from the body. Often this happens with antibiotic poisoning. Especially in cases where patients simultaneously consume alcohol during treatment.
The condition as a whole worsens. Weakness in all muscles, constant desire to sleep, lethargy or anxiety. Intoxication of the body with drugs affects the gait of a person and it seems that he is drunk. His movements become abrupt, even inadequate. Such signs are frequent, but at the same time, pronounced in nature than in other diseases.
Failure of the cardiovascular system. These can be sudden changes in pressure, convulsions, tachycardia, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, and even very low body temperature.

Seeing the slightest manifestation of one of the above seven criteria, you must immediately provide him with first aid in case of drug poisoning. In order to act urgently, it is first important to understand the main principles of its provision.

"Ambulance" at home

There are procedures that are extremely important to perform in the first place. In contrast, there are a number of actions that are prohibited in case of poisoning. Drug intoxication is very dangerous, therefore, while at home, you do not need to induce vomiting in the following four situations:

the patient has severe cardiac diseases (otherwise such actions will provoke a heart attack);
pregnant women in their last months;
the person is unconscious (otherwise he may choke);
kids up to five years old.

In order to provide urgent, but well-formed assistance in case of drug poisoning, you need to follow the recommendations approved by the Ministry of Health: call an ambulance. Determine which drug caused drug intoxication. Provide helpful assistance.

It is as follows:

gastric lavage (have the person drink 1 to 2 liters of warm water and then induce vomiting);
give the patient a sorbent, in particular, activated charcoal (1 tablet per 10 kg of weight);
cleanse the intestines (a laxative or a series of enemas will help with this);
lay the victim on his side (put a cold wet towel on his head, covering him with a blanket, but so that he does not sweat, and wait for the doctors to arrive).

So, for example, if the cause of the ailment is an overdose of adrenaline, then it is advised to use Amyl Nitrite. It is necessary to uncork the ampoule and bring it to the patient's nose. When the poisoning occurred as a result of Anaprelin, then the Alupent inhaler is used.

In addition, the patient must be constantly monitored so that breathing or pulse does not disappear. After all, when poisoning with pills, such signs are a frequent occurrence. You need to check for these signs every minute.

If the victim's heartbeat begins to disappear or he is not breathing, then he must be urgently resuscitated. CPR, chest compressions, or ammonia will help revive him. The success of such a rescue operation depends on knowledge, and most importantly, the absence of panic.

To maintain a stable condition of the patient, he should be given as much liquid as possible. In some cases, it may be black or green tea. Let him drink it in small portions so as not to overload the bladder and kidneys.

The key point in the question of what to do in case of drug poisoning is the answer - the complete elimination of toxins. What is the best way to cleanse the body of harmful elements?

Intensive cleaning

This procedure is carried out only in a clinical setting. First, doctors, with the help of relatives, determine after which antibiotics or drugs the symptoms began to appear. Therefore, you should never throw away the packages of the pills you take!

Then, in the toxicology department, the patient is given the necessary droppers. He will be given stabilizing medications to keep his heart and lungs functioning. And the professional care of the medical staff will contribute to a speedy recovery.

Summing up

Drug poisoning is the most common cause of hospitalization and death. Therefore, it is important to notice the symptoms of poisoning with antibiotics or other medicines in time. Before the arrival of a medical worker, the gastrointestinal tract should be cleaned. Then calm the patient and carefully observe him.

Pulmonologist, Therapist, Cardiologist, Functional diagnostics doctor. Doctor of the highest category. Experience: 9 years. She graduated from the Khabarovsk State Medical Institute, clinical residency in the specialty "therapy". I am engaged in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of internal organs, I also conduct medical examinations. I treat diseases of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system.

They act differently, therefore, the symptoms of poisoning and its consequences will also differ. However, some points are common to all types of poisoning. First of all, it is drowsiness, which can smoothly turn into loss of consciousness and to whom. In this case, the person may not be saved.

The most common poisoning is cardiovascular. With a regularly high dose of these drugs, they accumulate in the body, and then a toxic effect develops very quickly. This poisoning can manifest itself with arrhythmia, tachycardia, headache, hallucinations and visual impairment. Before the ambulance arrives, you can give the patient activated charcoal and drink as much salted water as possible in order to quickly remove harmful substances from the body, causing vomiting.

If drug poisoning is suspected, immediately begin gastric lavage and call an ambulance.

The most dangerous is poisoning with sedatives - barbiturates. They are quite wide, include antidepressants, hypnotics and narcotics. With an overdose, the processes of brain activity slow down, patients lose consciousness and fall into a coma.

If you are at the scene of the tragedy, and the patient is unconscious, first of all call an ambulance, then turn him over on his stomach and turn his head to one side so that there is no difficulty in breathing with a possible gag reflex. If a person is conscious, it is necessary to give him as much salted water as possible and try to induce vomiting. These are the basic rules that everyone should know. More serious actions before the arrival of the ambulance team can not be taken. It is very easy to harm the patient through inexperience.

Find and save until the doctor arrives the packaging of the pills that the person was poisoned with. This will help doctors give the right antidote in time.

What absolutely cannot be done

You can't do nothing. Do not leave a person in this state, even if it is alcohol or drug intoxication. Remember that without timely assistance, the patient may die.

In order to avoid unexpectedly getting into such a situation, you do not need to self-medicate, it is better to consult a doctor and strictly observe the prescribed dosage of medications.