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Biomedical subjects

D Villalobos

Publications and source records attributed to D Villalobos.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Prospective multicenter study of sulfonylurea ingestion in children.

OBJECTIVE: Sixty-eight percent of pediatric sulfonylurea ingestions reported to poison centers do not result in laboratory or behavioral effects. Consequently, if all exposed children are admitted overnight or for 24 hours for these exposures, it will result in 600 to 700 hospital admissions per year of children who will remain free of symptoms. We prospectively studied exposures reported to 10 regional poison centers to determine if it were possible to differentiate those patients who would have symptoms from those who would remain symptom free. METHODS: We analyzed all sulfonylurea exposures in children < or = 12 years old reported to the participating poison centers. Hypoglycemia was defined as blood glucose (BG) concentration < 60 mg/dl. RESULTS: Hypoglycemia developed in 56 (30%) of 185 exposed patients. Fifty-four of the 56 (96%) hypoglycemic patients had development of hypoglycemia within 8 hours of ingestion. Eighty-seven of the patients were initially managed with oral supplementation only; in 13 cases, treatment advanced to intravenous administration of glucose or glucagon with the onset of hypoglycemia. There was no statistical difference in medical outcome between patients monitored during oral supplementation versus during intravenous infusion of dextrose. Ingestions analyzed by time of day did not predict risk of hypoglycemia. Sufficient data were available for 103 (58%) of the 177 patients who ingested glyburide or glipizide to calculate a toxic dose/weight ratio. Of these 103 patients, 31 of 36 patients who ingested < or = 0.3 mg/kg remained symptom free, whereas 31 of 67 who ingested more than 0.3 mg/kg had BG concentrations < 60 mg/dl (p < 0.005, 95% confidence interval 0.05 to 0.58; sensitivity 86%, specificity 46%). CONCLUSION: A lack of onset of hypoglycemia (BG > 60 mg/dl) in the first 8 hours after ingestion is predictive of a benign outcome in accidental pediatric sulfonylurea ingestion. Clinical observation of children for onset of hypoglycemia during oral feeding alone appears safe. Some children with symptoms of hypoglycemia need to receive intravenous dextrose therapy. Time of day of ingestion is not predictive of risk of hypoglycemia. Finally, at this time it appears inappropriate to use a milligram per kilogram body weight dose as a guide for management decisions.

Accidents↗

Prospective multicenter evaluation of tramadol exposure.

BACKGROUND: Tramadol is a novel analgesic possessing both opiate and noradrenergic effects. Its low potential for abuse suggests increasing use, but there are limited data on the toxicity in overdose. METHODS: Multicenter prospective case series. All exposures from October 1995 through August 1996 reported to seven Poison Centers were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 126 cases of which 87 were tramadol alone. Of the tramadol alone cases, 51 were female (59%). Age ranged from 1 to 86 y with a mean and median of 26.8 y (SD 17.2) and 25 y, respectively. There were 15 cases of children less than 6 years old. Symptoms reported with overdose were: lethargy 26 (30%), nausea 12 (14%), tachycardia 11 (13%), agitation 9 (10%), seizures 7 (8%), 4 each (5%) of coma and hypertension, and respiratory depression 2 (2%). All seizures were brief. Naloxone reversed sedation and apnea in 4 of 8 patients. One patient experienced a seizure immediately after administration of naloxone. Other treatments were: diazepam (3 patients), and phenytoin, lorazepam and nifedipine (1 patient each). Tramadol 500 mg was the lowest dose associated with seizure, tachycardia, hypertension or agitation while 800 mg was the lowest dose associated with coma and respiratory depression. Urine drug screens performed on 19 patients were negative for opiates. All symptomatic cases exhibited effects within 4 h of ingestion. Mean hospital stay was 15.2 h (range 2-96 h, SD 15.8). Nineteen patients were admitted to an intensive care unit with a mean stay of 25 h (SD 20). DISCUSSION: Much of the toxicity in tramadol overdose appears to be attributable to the monoamine uptake inhibition rather than its opioid effects. Agitation, tachycardia, confusion and hypertension suggest a possible mild serotonin syndrome. No arrhythmias beyond tachycardia were seen. CONCLUSION: This study suggests significant neurologic toxicity from tramadol overdose. Serious cardiovascular toxicity was not seen.

Adolescent↗

Bupropion overdose: a 3-year multi-center retrospective analysis.

Bupropion (Wellbutrin; Burroughs Welcome Co, Research Triangle Park, NC) is a unique monocyclic antidepressant about which there is limited overdose information. A retrospective analysis of all bupropion ingestions reported to five regional poison control centers from 1989 through 1991 was conducted. There were 58 cases of bupropion ingestion and nine cases of combined bupropion and benzodiazepine ingestion. Sinus tachycardia was the only toxic cardiovascular effect noted, except for one case of hypotension in the bupropioin and benzodiazepine group. Neurological toxicity was commonly encountered and included lethargy, tremors, and seizures. Both benzodiazepines and phenytoin were efficacious in controlling seizures. Five cases of pure bupropion overdose had electrolytes reported. Serum potassium ranged from 2.6 to 4.2 mEq/L (mean, 3.3 mEq/L). In overdose, bupropion seems to lack major cardiovascular toxicity; however, it does manifest significant neurological toxicity.

Adolescent↗

Identification of penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Chile during clinical and microbiological study of gonococcal susceptibility to antimicrobial agents.

The first penicillinase producing isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) identified in Chile were discovered during a clinical and microbiological study to compare the efficacy of penicillin (4.8 MIU aqueous procaine penicillin G plus 1 g oral probenecid) and tetracycline (1.5 g followed by 500 mg four times daily for four days) treatment regimens for acute uncomplicated gonorrhoea. Penicillin treatment was effective in 93.1% (282) of 303 patients, whereas tetracycline was effective in 98.3% (233) of 237 patients. Six of the penicillin treatment failures were attributable to PPNG strains. In all, 21 PPNG strains were identified during the study. They were genetically identical, having a wild type auxotype, a WII/III serotype (serovar Bajk), and carrying cryptic and transfer plasmids and an Asian type penicillinase producing plasmid. In addition, 674 non-PPNG isolates were tested for their susceptibility to eight antimicrobials. Over 95% were sensitivie to 1 mg/l of penicillin, ampicillin, cefotaxime, cefuroxime, and erythromycin, over 90% were sensitive to 1 mg/l of tetracycline and 2 mg/l of thiamphenicol, and all were sensitive to spectinomycin. Of 226 non-PPNG isolates characterised for plasmid content and auxotype, 90% (205) were either wild type or proline requiring, 67% (153) carried only the cryptic plasmid, and a further 31% (71) carried both cryptic and transfer plasmids. Unusually, three of four isolates lacking the cryptic plasmid carried only the transfer plasmid.

Chile↗