Ruxandra Avram 1, Gina Caragea 1, M. Ionică 1, R. Macovei 1, 2
1 Centrul de Cercetări Științifice Medico-Militare, București
2 Clinica ATI II Toxicologie, Spitalul Clinic de Urgență, București
Abstract
Introduction: The acute intoxication with barbiturates , still widely used in medical practice, is a redoubtable matter, especially when long acting compounds are involved; because they have a long half time, slowly accumulate at the tissue level and lead to severe poisoning which require promptly intensive care measures. Case report: male patient 34 years old with a history of epilepsy and postencephalytic paralysis was admitted in the Toxicology Department 24 hours after the ingestion of a barbiturate overdose. The clinical state was very severe and required complex intensive care therapy. Daily measurements of plasmatic Phenobarbital levels settled a direct correlation between the positive outcome trend and decreasing barbiturates values. Conclusion: The active screening of the plasmatic phenobarbital levels is very useful especially when it comes to decide if more aggressive therapeutic measures are necessary.