Adult glyburide ingestions reported to Texas poison control centers, 1998—2005

Abstract

Limited information exists on potentially adverse adult glyburide ingestions reported to poison control centers. Using adult glyburide ingestions reported to Texas poison control centers during 1998-2005, the proportion of cases involving serious outcomes was determined for selected variables and evaluated for statistical significance by calculating the rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Of 126 cases identified, 49 (39%) involved serious outcomes. Serious outcomes were significantly more likely to occur with a maximum dose>24 mg (RR 4.74, 95% CI 1.74-14.90) or >4 tablets (RR 3.27, CI 1.57-7.31), where the circumstances of the exposures involved self-harm or malicious intent (RR 2.44, CI 1.33-4.46), or the patient was already at or en route to a health care facility when the poison control center was contacted (RR 12.89, CI 4.00-66.12) or referred to a health care facility by the poison control center (RR 12.21, CI 3.53-65.01). The severity of the outcome associated with adult glyburide ingestions depended on the dose and the circumstances of the ingestion. The management of patients with severe outcomes was more likely to involve health care facilities. Such information is useful for creating triage guidelines for the management of adult glyburide ingestions.