Diazepam poisoning with one-month monitoring of diazepam and nordiazepam blood levels.
A 54-y-old man ingested 2 g of bulk laboratory diazepam and was treated with activated charcoal, enhanced diuresis and flumazenil infusion. The treatment resulted in awakening, but the patient had drowsiness, dysarthria, diplopia, and dizziness for 9 d. Blood levels of diazepam and its main metabolite, nordiazepam, were obtained for 1 mo. The half-lives in this benzodiazepine overdose were longer than those seen with therapeutic doses. Benzodiazepines should not be readministrated when patients awake after suicide attempts.
de Haro
L
L
Centre Antipoison, Hĵpital Salvator, Marseille, France.
Valli
M
M
Bourdon
J H
JH
Iliadis
A
A
Hayek-Lanthois
M
M
Arditti
J
J
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003975:Diazepam / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning*; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D003708:Nordazepam / Q000097:blood; D011041:Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D005442:Flumazenil; D003708:Nordazepam; D003975:Diazepam