Ketotifen (Zaditen) is a widely used prophylactic antiasthmatic drug with pronounced antianaphylactic properties and a specific H1-antihistaminic effect. This article summarises the available information on acute overdosage of this drug, which was reported in 13 adults and 8 children. The symptoms of acute overdosage observed with ketotifen are similar to those described for antihistaminic agents. However, it would appear that the acute toxicity of ketotifen is rather low, since no serious effects have been reported either in children or in adults after the intake of up to 20mg of ketotifen, which is 10 times the recommended dose. No lethal outcome of acute overdosage has been described in association with this drug. Ketotifen seems to be better tolerated in children than in adults. Based on present clinical experience, management of acute overdosage includes gastric lavage within 2 to 4h after ingestion or activated charcoal after this period. Symptomatic treatment is indicated if arrhythmias, hypotension or seizures develop, and the patient should be kept under surveillance for at least 6 to 8h.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Significance of partial pressure and pH value of umbilical venous blood and umbilical arterial blood in the diagnosis of the condition of the newborn infant following early or late cord clamping].

The condition of the newborn at birth is documented by the Apgar score and by the blood gas analysis of the umbilical arterial blood. The question arises whether the estimations are still valid if the cord is clamped late. The investigations have been performed on 20 newborn at term: 10 babies were clamped late and 10 immediately after birth. The blood was analysed from both vessels near the placenta and the child. The pH, base excess, PCO2 and PO2 showed in both groups the expected gradients along the umbilical circulation. There was also no difference of these parameters between the two groups of early (EC) and late (LC) cord clamping: pH LC 7,26 (SD 0.05), EC 7.32 (SD 0,04)), base excess (LC - 7.7 meq/1 (SD 2.3); EC -5.2 meq/1 (SD 5.0)), PCO2 (LC 52 mmHg (SD 7); EC 44 mmHg (SD 6)) and P02 (LC 18 mmHg (SD 3); EC 17 mmHg (SD 3)). From these observations it may be concluded that the start of ventilation does not influence the blood gases in the umbilical vessels of the late clamped newborn. It may be caused by the sudden ceasing of the umbilical circulation at birth.

Acid-Base Imbalance↗