The use of sublingual nifedipine in a patient with a clonidine overdose.
We report the case of a 46-year-old woman who took approximately 8 mg of clonidine in a suicidal gesture. She arrived in the emergency department 45 min after the overdose with severe hypertension and an altered mental status. Nitroprusside, which is the drug of choice for treating this "paradoxical hypertension," was not readily available. The patient was treated with a total of 20 mg of nifedipine sublingually. This resulted in a rapid decline in her blood pressure and an improvement in her mental status. We review the toxicology of clonidine overdose and discuss its treatment.
Dire
D J
DJ
Department of Emergency Medicine, Darnall Army Community Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas 76544-5603.
Kuhns
D W
DW
D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D003000:Clonidine / Q000506:poisoning*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D009543:Nifedipine; D003000:Clonidine