Overdose is especially dangerous in elderly patients. Overdose may occur after a single dose of a large dose or with prolonged use. If a single dose is less than 150 mg / kg body weight, acute poisoning is considered easy, 150-300 mg / kg - moderate, more than 300 mg / kg - heavy. The highest risk of chronic intoxication is observed in elderly patients with a dose of more than 100 mg / kg / day for several days. In elderly patients, the initial signs of salicylism (nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, visual impairment, dizziness, headache, general malaise) are not always noticeable, so it is advisable to periodically determine the salicylate content in the blood plasma.
Symptoms
Symptoms of chronic intoxication
Symptoms are nonspecific and often difficult to diagnose.
Intoxication of mild severity usually develops only after repeated use of large doses of the drug and is manifested by dizziness, noise in the ears, hearing loss, increased sweating, nausea and vomiting, headache and confusion. This symptomatology disappears after a decrease in the dose of the drug.Noise in the ears can appear with a concentration of acetylsalicylic acid in the blood plasma from 150 to 300 μg / ml. Severe symptoms appear at concentrations above 300 μg / ml.
Symptoms of acute intoxication
The main manifestation of acute intoxication is a severe violation of the acid-base equilibrium, the manifestations of which can vary depending on the age of the patient and the severity of intoxication. In children, the development of metabolic acidosis is most typical. Treatment of intoxication is carried out in accordance with accepted standards and depends on the severity of intoxication and clinical picture and should be directed mainly to accelerate the elimination of the drug and restore the water-electrolyte balance and acid-base state.
Symptoms of an overdose of mild to moderate severity
Dizziness, tinnitus, hearing impairment, increased sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, profuse sweating, tachypnea, hyperventilation, respiratory alkalosis.
Symptoms of an overdose of moderate to severe severity:
- respiratory alkalosis with compensatory metabolic acidosis;
- hyperpyrexia (extremely high body temperature);
- breathing disorders: hyperventilation, non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, respiratory depression, asphyxia;
- disorders of the cardiovascular system: heart rhythm disturbances, arterial hypotension, oppression of cardiac activity, collapse;
- disturbances of water-electrolyte balance: dehydration, disturbance of kidney function from oliguria up to development of renal failure, characterized by hypokalemia, hypernatremia, hyponatremia;
- impaired glucose metabolism: hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia (especially in children), ketoacidosis;
- noise in the ears, deafness;
- gastrointestinal bleeding;
- Hematologic disorders: from inhibition of platelet aggregation to coagulopathy, prolongation of prothrombin time, hypoprothrombinemia;
- neurological disorders: toxic encephalopathy and depression of the central nervous system (drowsiness, confusion, coma, convulsions).
Treatment
Treatment of an overdose of mild to moderate severity
Provocation of vomiting, repeated intake of adsorbents (activated carbon), forced alkaline diuresis (sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate or sodium lactate), restoration of water-electrolyte balance and acid-base state.
Treatment of an overdose from moderate to severe severity
Immediate hospitalization in specialized departments for emergency therapy - gastric lavage, repeated intake of adsorbents (activated charcoal) and laxatives, alkalinization of urine (shown at a salicylate level in the blood plasma above 500 mg / l, is provided by intravenous infusion of sodium bicarbonate - 88 meq per liter 5% glucose solution, at a rate of 10-15 ml / kg / h), recovery of circulating blood volume and induction of diuresis (achieved by sodium bicarbonate administration at the same dose and dilution, repeated 2-3 times); it should be borne in mind that intensive fluid infusion to elderly patients can lead to pulmonary edema. It is not recommended to use acetosolamide for urine alkalinization (can cause acidemia and enhance the toxic effect of salicylates). When carrying out alkaline diuresis, it is necessary to achieve pH values of 7.5-8.
Hemodialysis is indicated with a salicylate level in the blood plasma of more than 1000 mg / L, and in patients with chronic poisoning - 500 mg / L and lower if there are indications (refractory acidosis, progressive deterioration, severe central nervous system damage, pulmonary edema and kidney failure) .
It is shown in pulmonary edema artificial ventilation with a mixture enriched in oxygen at a positive pressure mode at the end of the exhalation; To treat edema of the brain, hyperventilation and osmotic diuresis are used.