Recovery from a psychotropic drug overdose tends to depend on the time from ingestion to arrival, the Glasgow Coma Scale, and a sign of circulatory insufficiency on arrival

Abstract 

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate which factors on arrival correlate with the duration of unconsciousness induced by a psychotropic drug overdose.

Basic Procedure

Patients were 175 consecutive intubated patients unconscious due to psychotropic drug overdose. They were divided into 2 groups, an “early” group in which the patients were extubated within 2 days from hospitalization, and a “delayed” group who were not extubated within 2 days.

Main Findings

Glasgow Coma Scale (P = .001) scores in the early group were higher than those in the delayed group. The estimated time from ingestion to admission (P < .0001), creatine kinase level (P < .01), number of cases demonstrating shock (P < .05), shock index (P < .0001), and heart rate (P = .001) in the early group were smaller than those in the delayed group. Two subjects in the delayed group died of pneumonia and pulmonary embolism.

Principal Conclusions

Delayed arrival from ingestion, a low level of unconsciousness, and a sign of circulatory insufficiency in a patient with a psychotropic drug overdose were risk factors of a delayed recovery and death.