Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology
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Pediatric exposures to cannabis edibles have been associated with serious adverse effects, such as respiratory depression. Yet, their incidence and relationship to exposure characteristics are not well defined. We attempt to describe the temporal, demographic, and clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with edible cannabis exposures and examine the relationship between these characteristics and two clinical outcomes: need for respiratory support and hospital admission. ⋯ There was a low incidence of need for respiratory support in our population, but hospital admission was more common. Severe symptoms (including lethargy and respiratory depression), need for respiratory support and hospital admission were more frequent in younger children. Exposures occurred with increasing frequency over time. Larger studies are needed to explore the relationship between THC dosage, age, and incidence of adverse outcomes.
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While emergency department (ED) visits for acute drug overdose are at an all-time high, the importance of vasopressors to treat circulatory shock in this patient population remains unclear. This study investigated the association between first-line vasopressor and mortality, for both push-dose and infusion, in this patient population. ⋯ In ED patients with undifferentiated drug overdose and circulatory shock, the first-line vasopressor is associated with in-hospital mortality. First-line push-dose phenylephrine was associated with the lowest odds of in-hospital mortality. Future randomized studies are warranted for validation.
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Buprenorphine is a unique μ-opioid receptor partial agonist with avid receptor binding, nominal euphoric reward, and a ceiling effect on sedation and respiratory depression. Despite a pharmacologic profile that enhances safety, cases of fatal opioid overdose with buprenorphine on postmortem toxicology are reported, but details of these cases in the literature are limited. ⋯ Decedents with buprenorphine detected on toxicology testing commonly had documented polysubstance use. Although data are limited, buprenorphine may provide some risk mitigation against full agonist opioid overdose including fentanyl. Further work should explore the use of postmortem concentrations of buprenorphine, norbuprenorphine, and other opioid metabolites to determine the role of buprenorphine in fatal overdose pharmacology.
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The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) was scheduled to be held in New York City, March 12-15, 2020, and had the largest conference registration in the history of ACMT's ASM. In the week prior to the conference, the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City and the USA was becoming apparent. On the first day of the conference, organizers canceled the live portion of the meeting and converted the conference into an entirely virtual meeting. We discuss the challenges of holding a virtual conference, future directions for online meetings, and why our conference was ultimately successful.
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Recent attention on the possible use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat COVID-19 disease has potentially triggered a number of overdoses from hydroxychloroquine. Toxicity from hydroxychloroquine manifests with cardiac conduction abnormalities, seizure activity, and muscle weakness. Recognizing this toxidrome and unique management of this toxicity is important in the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Hydroxychloroquine toxicity is rare but projected to increase in frequency given its selection as a potential modality to treat COVID-19 disease. It is important for clinicians to recognize the unique effects of hydroxychloroquine poisoning and initiate appropriate emergency maneuvers to improve the outcomes in these patients.