Severe acute propoxyphene overdose: plasma concentrations of propoxyphene and norpropoxyphene and the effect of dopamine on circulatory failure.
Twelve patients with cardiovascular failure because of propoxyphene self-poisoning were treated with dopamine. The patients responded favourably to dopamine infusion (2-17 micrograms/kg/min) with a dose-dependent rise in systolic arterial blood pressure and a fall in central venous pressure and copious urinary output. Side effects during infusion were few, and in periods where dopamine infusion exceeded 10 micrograms/kg/min no tachyarrhythmias were seen. Eleven of the patients were treated on a respirator. Two patients were discharged from the ICU with signs of hypoxic brain damage, one of whom recovered completely after 2 weeks. Serum propoxyphene and norpropoxyphene were measured in nine patients. All but one patient had either propoxyphene or norpropoxyphene concentrations above 3 mumol/l.
D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011431:Dextropropoxyphene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
C002756:norpropoxyphene; D011431:Dextropropoxyphene; D004298:Dopamine