Accelerated elimination of phenobarbital by oral activated charcoal suspensions with alkaline diuresis in an overdose patient.

Abstract

A patient with phenobarbital overdose was treated with gastric administration of multiple doses of activated charcoal suspensions with alkaline diuresis. The decline of serum phenobarbital concentrations was sharper during the therapy than a control period. Elimination half-lives of phenobarbital of 15. 5 and 39. 1 h were obtained for the period of charcoal treatment with and without alkaline diuresis, respectively. As a normal elimination half-life of the patient was 82. 2 h, combined use of oral activated charcoal with alkaline diuresis proved to be an effective, safe, and inexpensive therapeutic measure in a case of phenobarbital overdose.