A 27-year-old youth accidentally took 10 times the amount of antidepressants and nearly died! Everyone should know these life-saving knowledge

At 3 a.m., the emergency room of Hunan Second People's Hospital (Provincial Brain Hospital) received a young man with blurred consciousness. According to the description, the patient had mistakenly taken the antidepressant venlafaxine (150mg/tablet) as a sleeping pill for three consecutive days, with a daily dose of up to 10 times the normal dose. When he was admitted to the hospital, he had already developed critical symptoms such as mydriasis, tachycardia (heart rate up to 128 beats/minute) and hypotension (85/50mmHg), and was immediately sent to the intensive care unit for emergency treatment.

After a series of comprehensive treatments including gastric lavage and perfusion, the patient was out of danger after 72 hours.

Lu Xuewen, director of the Department of Critical Care Medicine , pointed out that the consequences of overdose of this type of drug are serious and may lead to hypotension, coma, convulsions, arrhythmia, etc., which can be life-threatening in severe cases.

Commonly used antidepressants in clinical practice work mainly by precisely regulating neurotransmitters. It is worth noting that these drugs need to be taken continuously for 2-4 weeks to gradually establish a stable neurotransmitter balance. Increasing the dosage without authorization will not only fail to accelerate the therapeutic effect, but may cause poisoning reactions.

This case also gives us a warning:

1. The hidden dangers in the medicine box: in-depth analysis of three major accidental ingestion situations

1. Visual traps: A study by the pharmacy department of a hospital found that about 34% of medication errors are caused by similar appearance of drugs. For example, a certain brand of venlafaxine sustained-release tablets and commonly used sleeping pills are highly similar in outer packaging and tablet color.

2. Psychological crisis: Depressed patients may take medication impulsively during periods of fluctuation in their condition. Clinical statistics show that spring is the peak season for such incidents.

3. Cognitive misunderstanding: Some people mistakenly believe that "taking more pills will help you sleep better", but they don't know that overdose of antidepressants may cause fatal arrhythmias

2. Speed ​​of Life and Death - Golden Rules for Identifying and Rescuing Drug Overdose

When you find someone who is suspected of overdosing, please remember the "3 Do's and 3 Don'ts" first aid principles:

【Take Action Now】

√ Record the time, type and dosage of medication

√ Keep the patient in a side-lying position to prevent vomiting and suffocation

√ Take the original medicine box to see a doctor immediately

[Absolutely prohibited]

× Blindly induce vomiting (may cause aspiration pneumonia)

× Feeding milk, etc. (may accelerate drug absorption)

× Wait for symptoms to resolve on their own

3. Take Precautions Before They Happen - Smart Solutions for Home Medicine Cabinet Management

1. Classified storage: Use smart medicine boxes (with electronic lock function) to store psychotropic drugs separately

2. Visual warning: Mark "psychotropic drugs" with a red label and place a medication reminder card in the medicine box

3. Regular inspection: Set the 1st of each month as "Family Medicine Safety Inspection Day" to clear out expired medicines

Finally, Director Lv Xuewen reminded everyone that life and health are of paramount importance, and scientific medication should be used to keep safe. If you or your family members are receiving antidepressant treatment, please check your home medicine box immediately and work together to build a safe line of defense for medication use.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhou Kai, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hunan Second People's Hospital (Provincial Brain Hospital)

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(Edited by YT)