Antipsychotic Exposures in an Emergency Department

Authors : M. Aylin Arici, Aynur Şahin, Neşe Çolak Oray, Başak Bayram, Yeşim Tunçok

Pages : 41-46

Doi:10.5152/jbachs.2017.121

View : 15 | Download : 6

Publication Date : 2017-06-01

Article Type : Other

Abstract :Purpose: We analyzed the antipsychotic medication exposures’ distribution in typical and atypical antipsychotic exposures and severity of the clinical signs and symptoms admitted to the Department of Emergency Medicine at Dokuz Eylul University EMDEU between 1993 and 2015.Methods: Demographics of patients, type of exposure, distribution according to the reason, the amount of the exposed antipsychotics, clinical findings, the length of hospital stay, and the outcome of the patients in typical and atypical antipsychotic exposures were analyzed.Results: Among all of the adult poisonings in EMDEU, 2.6% of them were due to exposure to antipsychotic medication. Most of the antipsychotic exposures were intentional 95.5% . Most antipsychotics exposed were atypical antipsychotics 77.3% . Frequently exposed atypical and typical antipsychotics were quetiapine 52.9% and chlorpromazine 26.7% , respectively. 46.7% of typical antipsychotics and 35.3% of atypical antipsychotics were in toxic doses. Tachycardia 39.4% was the most common symptom in typical 40.0% and atypical 39.2% antipsychotic exposures. Atypical antipsychotic exposure did not cause fewer clinical findings than that of typical antipsychotics. Gastric decontamination was applied to 56.1% of the patients. All of the patients exposed to antipsychotics recovered.Conclusion: Because of the widespread use of atypical antipsychotics, we observed atypical antipsychotic exposures more than typical antipsychotic exposures. Although mild and moderate clinical findings are common in both typical and atypical antipsychotic exposures, serious clinical findings can be observed in all intoxications. Therefore, all patients poisoned with typical or atypical antipsychotic toxic doses should be closely monitored in the emergency department
Keywords : Antipsychotic, atypical, typical, poisoning, clinical finding