title: Fatal colchicine overdose: report of a case and review of the literature.
abstract: Colchicine poisoning is an uncommon, but potentially life-threatening, toxicologic emergency. A case is reported of a 21-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department approximately 1 hour after ingesting 30 mg of colchicine in a suicide attempt. Her clinical course included gastrointestinal distress, metabolic acidosis, pancytopenia, hypotension, adult respiratory distress syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, and hypocalcemia. Despite aggressive medical management, the patient suffered a cardiac arrest and died 8 days after the ingestion. The clinical features of colchicine poisoning are highlighted and current therapeutic options are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, OH 45267-0769, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Meek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003078:Colchicine / Q000506:poisoning*; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D011041:Poisoning / Q000097:blood; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D006074:Gout Suppressants; D003078:Colchicine