title: A comparison of three computer models for prediction of dose in acute amitriptyline overdose.
abstract: The pharmacokinetics of amitriptyline in overdose have been reported not to fit conventional compartmental models. In this study, the dose-concentration-time relationships of amitriptyline in overdose were modeled with discriminant analysis, with an evolutionary heuristic search program, and with a decision-tree model based on the entropy of uncertainty of classification. The computer models all used the same data from dogs administered treatment (80 mg/kg), toxic (250 mg/kg), or fatal (500 mg/kg) doses directly into the surgically isolated duodenum. All the models achieved a high degree of success (77 to 93%) in assigning records to the high-, low-, or middle-dose groups. Two of the models gave a probability of the assignment. Results of this analysis suggest that blood amitriptyline and nortriptyline concentrations are most useful in estimating dose in acute amitriptyline overdose.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wimbish
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shores
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spiehler
mesh_terms: D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning*; D000818:Animals; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D062787:Drug Overdose; D004386:Duodenum / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000097:blood; D011336:Probability; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D000639:Amitriptyline; D009661:Nortriptyline