Poisoning due to psychotropic drugs

Abstract

Poisoning due to psychotropic agents occurs commonly and 25560% of patients admitted to hospital in England and Wales because of poisoning have ingested a psychotropic drug (Table 1). Between 1971 and 1978 the number of general practitioner prescriptions in Great Britain for benzodiazepines rose from 17.5 m to over 30 m annually and it is not surprising, therefore, that this is reflected by a rising admission rate for benzodiazepine overdose (Fig. 1). In striking contrast, the reduction in the number of barbiturate prescriptions between 1971 and 1978, from 13 m to 5 m annually, has been accompanied by a 50% fall in the mortality from barbiturate poisoning over the same period. Data published by the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys indicates that in 1979 in England and Wales, 540 of the 2987 deaths (18%) from acute drug poisoning were due to psychotropic agents alone (barbiturate deaths are not included). In keeping with the classification of psychotropic agents used by Hollister (1978) this review will examine the clinical features and management of poisoning due to