Abstract
Background: Tramadol is an analgesic drug being abused today a lot. Excessive ingestion will lead to hazardous complications such as convulsion and occasionally respiratory apnea. The aim of this study based on frequency respiratory apnea in patients with acute tramadol poisoning hospitalized in Farshchian Hospital of Hamadan, Iran from Jan 2014 to Dec 2015. Methods: All patients with tramadol poisoning who hospitalized and treated at poisoning ward were enrolled into the study. Their demographic data including age, gender, drug ingestion dose, and respiratory apnea leading to taking naloxone or intubation collected and analyzed statistically by SPSS software. Results: Overall, 350 patients aged between 14 to 68 yr old were investigated. About 75 of them were male and among them, 81.14 had deliberate self-poisoning. 4.86 developed apnea whose average tramadol consumption was 4158.83 mg. In patients who had not apnea, the average tramadol consumption was 122.38 mg, that was statistically significant difference (P<0.001). Conclusion: Although apnea development frequency in patients with excessive tramadol ingestion is rare, it is significant as a potentially life-threatening risk, occasionally ignored.
Highlights
Tramadol ingestion has been one of the main reasons of drug poisoning in Iran during recent years and deliberate self-poisoning has been reported as the major reason [1]
This study aimed to investigate the frequency of respiratory apnea due to tramadol ingestion and take special notice to this life-threatening side effect frequently ignored by medical doctors compared with more common disorders like convulsion treated by enough doses of naloxone or tracheal intubation
350 patients referred to Farshchian Hospital during 2014-2015 and were qualified to enter into the study
Summary
Tramadol ingestion has been one of the main reasons of drug poisoning in Iran during recent years and deliberate self-poisoning has been reported as the major reason [1]. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of respiratory apnea due to tramadol ingestion and take special notice to this life-threatening side effect frequently ignored by medical doctors compared with more common disorders like convulsion treated by enough doses of naloxone or tracheal intubation. The aim of this study based on frequency respiratory apnea in patients with acute tramadol poisoning hospitalized in Farshchian Hospital of Hamadan, Iran from Jan 2014 to Dec 2015. Methods: All patients with tramadol poisoning who hospitalized and treated at poisoning ward were enrolled into the study Their demographic data including age, gender, drug ingestion dose, and respiratory apnea leading to taking naloxone or intubation collected and analyzed statistically by SPSS software. Conclusion: apnea development frequency in patients with excessive tramadol ingestion is rare, it is significant as a potentially life-threatening risk, occasionally ignored.
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