Tricyclics--the most common agent used in potentially lethal overdoses

Kathol, R. G., Henn, F. A. (April 1983) Tricyclics--the most common agent used in potentially lethal overdoses. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 171 (4). pp. 250-2. ISSN 0022-3018 (Print)0022-3018

Abstract

Fifty-three cases of drug overdose requiring admission to a medical intensive care unit were studied. Tricyclic antidepressants were used in nearly 50 per cent of these serious adult overdoses. Barbiturates were involved in only 20 per cent. This may reflect changing patterns of drug usage and emphasizes the potential danger of tricyclics, the use of which is widespread in the general medical community. Unintentional overdoses occurred most often in substance abusers, whereas intentional overdoses occurred in a wider range of psychiatric disorders. A quarter of drug overdoses were free of psychiatric disease. Patients found to have an obvious manipulative intent were as likely to have made medically serious attempts as those who did not.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: Adult Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/*poisoning Barbiturates/poisoning Humans Male Mental Disorders/psychology Substance-Related Disorders/psychology Suicide, Attempted/psychology
Subjects: diseases & disorders > mental disorders > mood disorders
diseases & disorders > mental disorders > mood disorders > anti-depressive medication
diseases & disorders > mental disorders > mood disorders > depression
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Henn lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: April 1983
Date Deposited: 19 Jun 2014 21:07
Last Modified: 19 Jun 2014 21:07
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/30229

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