Barbiturate overdose

Barbiturate overdose
Barbiturate overdose
Other names	Barbiturate poisoning, barbiturate toxicity
	Molecular diagram of phenobarbital
Specialty	Emergency medicine
Symptoms	Decreased breathing, decreased level of consciousness
Complications	Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema
Duration	6–12 hours
Causes	Accidental, suicide
Diagnostic method	Blood or urine tests
Treatment	medical support, activated charcoal
Frequency	Uncommon

Barbiturate overdose is poisoning due to excessive doses of barbiturates.^[8] Symptoms typically include difficulty thinking, poor coordination, decreased level of consciousness, and a decreased effort to breathe (respiratory depression).^[1] Complications of overdose can include noncardiogenic pulmonary edema.^[2] If death occurs this is typically due to a lack of breathing.^[3]

Barbiturate overdose may occur by accident or purposefully in an attempt to cause death.^[3] The toxic effects are additive to those of alcohol and benzodiazepines.^[3] The lethal dose varies with a person's tolerance and how the drug is taken.^[3] The effects of barbiturates occur via the GABA neurotransmitter.^[2] Exposure may be verified by testing the urine or blood.^[4]

While once a common cause of overdose, barbiturates are now a rare cause.^[7]

^ ^a ^b Weaver, MF (3 September 2015). "Prescription Sedative Misuse and Abuse". The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 88 (3): 247–56. PMC 4553644. PMID 26339207.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Marx, John A. Marx (2014). "165". Rosen's emergency medicine : concepts and clinical practice (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. pp. Sedative Hypnotics. ISBN 978-1455706051.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Sadock, Benjamin J.; Sadock, Virginia A. (2008). Kaplan & Sadock's Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 149. ISBN 9780781787468. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.
^ ^a ^b Baren, Jill M. (2008). Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 955. ISBN 978-1416000877. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.
^ Cite error: The named reference Car2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Rob2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Müller, D; Desel, H (October 2013). "Common causes of poisoning: etiology, diagnosis and treatment". Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 110 (41): 690–9, quiz 700. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0690. PMC 3813891. PMID 24194796.
^ Dictionary of Medical Terms. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2009. p. 37. ISBN 9781408102091. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.

[We2015-1] Weaver, MF (3 September 2015). "Prescription Sedative Misuse and Abuse". The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 88 (3): 247–56. PMC 4553644. PMID 26339207.

[Rosen2014-2] Marx, John A. Marx (2014). "165". Rosen's emergency medicine : concepts and clinical practice (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. pp. Sedative Hypnotics. ISBN 978-1455706051.

[Kap2008-3] Sadock, Benjamin J.; Sadock, Virginia A. (2008). Kaplan & Sadock's Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 149. ISBN 9780781787468. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.

[Jill2008-4] Baren, Jill M. (2008). Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 955. ISBN 978-1416000877. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.

[Car2010-5] Cite error: The named reference Car2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Rob2011-6] Cite error: The named reference Rob2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Mu2013-7] Müller, D; Desel, H (October 2013). "Common causes of poisoning: etiology, diagnosis and treatment". Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 110 (41): 690–9, quiz 700. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0690. PMC 3813891. PMID 24194796.

[8] Dictionary of Medical Terms. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2009. p. 37. ISBN 9781408102091. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.

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