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10. Hypnotics and Sedatives
Abstract
In recent years, most large hospitals have observed a marked increase in the admission of patients suffering from drug overdose. Overdose of narcotic drugs, such as the opiates, represent less of a problem on a day-to-day basis than do overdoses of prescribed drugs, such as sedatives and hypnotics. Clinical signs and symptoms for a narcotic drug overdose are very distinct, and in the majority of cases can be easily recognized by the attending physicians without the help of a toxicology laboratory. Loomis (1) reported that the majority of fatal poisonings owed to one, or a combination, of four agents: barbiturates, carbon monoxide, ethyl alcohol, and salicylates. Berry (2) estimated that 5-5′-disubstituted barbiturates were the second commonest cause of fatal poisoning in England, and that the frequency of their use was increasing. Other nonbarbiturate hypnotics involved in coma-producing incidents include glutethimide (Doriden®), methyprylon (Noludar®), and meprobamate (3, 4). In the last five years, diazepam (Valium®) has become one of the leading misused drugs (5).
Affiliation(s): (2) Department of Laboratory Medicine School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
Series: No Series  |  Pub. Date: Apr-30-1981  |  Page Range: 223-241  |  DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60327-404-3_10
Subject:  Biochemistry
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