Chronic valproic acid intoxication: reversal by naloxone

A 76-year-old woman being treated with sodium valproate for bipolar depression presented with a 4 day history of acute confusion and tremulousness. She had apnoeic episodes, reduced conscious level and generalised myoclonic movements. Her plasma valproate concentration was 848 µmol/l (normal 300–600...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emergency medicine journal : EMJ 2007-09, Vol.24 (9), p.677-678
Main Author: Thanacoody, H K R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acids
Aged
Antimanic Agents - poisoning
Bipolar Disorder - drug therapy
Blood pressure
Coma
Emergency Casebook
Female
Hemodialysis
Humans
Intoxication
Naloxone - therapeutic use
Narcotic Antagonists - therapeutic use
Narcotics
Plasma
Poisoning - drug therapy
Toxicity
Valproic Acid - poisoning
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A 76-year-old woman being treated with sodium valproate for bipolar depression presented with a 4 day history of acute confusion and tremulousness. She had apnoeic episodes, reduced conscious level and generalised myoclonic movements. Her plasma valproate concentration was 848 µmol/l (normal 300–600 µmol/l). Administration of naloxone 0.8 mg led to rapid clinical improvement. Naloxone may be useful in reversing the features of chronic valproate toxicity.
ISSN:1472-0205
1472-0213
DOI:10.1136/emj.2007.049791