Acute chlormethiazole poisoning in patients notified to the Poisons Unit, Guy's Hospital, 1978--1981.
1 Out of 493 patients with suspected acute chlormethiazole poisoning notified to the Poisons Unit, Guy's Hospital during 1978--1981, the diagnosis was confirmed either analytically or by detailed clinical information in 108 patients, 40 of whom had ingested chlormethiazole alone. 2 The principal signs reported indicate that the clinical features of acute chlormethiazole poisoning resemble those of barbiturate poisoning, with deep coma (n = 66), respiratory depression (n = 26) and hypotension (n = 17) in the severe cases. Five patients died as a result of early, profound respiratory depression. 3 In 53 survivors in whom toxicological analyses were performed, poisoning with chlormethiazole alone had a better prognosis than when ethanol or other drugs were also present, except in patients with hepatic or pulmonary disease or in the elderly. 4 These results emphasise that although patients poisoned with chlormethiazole who survive to reach hospital generally have a good prognosis, fatal respiratory complications often occur before the patient can be treated.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002719:Chlormethiazole / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D003128:Coma / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D002719:Chlormethiazole