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Meperidine hydrochloride overdose


Alternative names

Poisoning from an overdose of meperidine.

Poisonous Ingredient

  • meperidine

Where Found

  • Demerol
  • Mepergan Forte

Symptoms

  • body as a whole
    • muscle spasticity
    • convulsions
  • respiratory
    • difficulty breathing
      • slow and labored
      • shallow
      • no breathing
  • eyes, ears, nose, and throat
    • pinpoint pupils
  • skin
    • bluish fingernails and lips
  • gastrointestinal
    • spasms of the stomach and/or intestinal tract
    • nausea
    • vomiting
    • constipation
  • heart and blood vessels
    • weak pulse
    • low blood pressure
  • nervous system
    • drowsiness
    • coma
    • dizziness

Home Treatment

DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING .

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following:
  • the patient's age, weight, and condition
  • the name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
  • the time it was swallowed
  • the amount swallowed
  • it the medication was prescribed for the patient

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:
  • Use gastric lavage .
  • Administer activated charcoal.
  • Administer a laxative.
  • Give a counteracting medication (narcotic antagonist). Multiple doses may be needed.
  • Administer Intravenous fluids as needed.
  • Monitor breathing.
  • Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis)

If an antidote can be given, recovery from an acute overdose occurs within 24 to 48 hours.

Update Date: 2/12/2004

Cherlin Johnson, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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Last updated: Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:20:03 GMT
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