0000000000308887
AUTHOR
O. Sauer
Psychogene Amphetamine (,,Ecstasy``)
Unter dem Oberbegriff ,,Ecstasy`` werden zur Zeit viele verschiedene halluzinogene Amphetaminderivate zusammengefast, deren wohl gangigste Vertreter MDMA (3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamin) und MDEA (3,4-methylendioxyethamphetamin) sind. Neben diesen und verwandten Wirkstoffen sind jedoch oft auch noch andere Substanzen in den angebotenen Praparaten enthalten (Amphetamin, Ephedrin, Selegilin, Paracetamol u. a.), welche die Wirkung und das Symptombild von Ecstasy erheblich modifizieren konnen. Der Gebrauch von Ecstasy und damit auch die Haufigkeit von Komplikationen nach Ecstasyingestion hat in den letzten Jahren in Deutschland stark zugenommen. Daraus ergibt sich derzeit ein wachsender Bedarf…
Experiences of a poison center with metformin-associated lactic acidosis.
Metformin is widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, though it is recognized to be associated with the risk of lactic acidosis. A case of pronounced lactic acidosis with cardiac arrest (pH 6.60, lactate 17.5 mmol/l, base excess - 30, standard bicarbonate 2.5 mmol/l, core body temperature 27.8 degrees C) is presented in a 61-year-old woman under metformin therapy. The key laboratory abnormalities observed during the intensive care treatment including repeated hemodialysis are described. The patient showed a complete recovery with residually reduced mental capabilities. Furthermore, an explorative data analysis of our poison center database from 1995 until 2003 concerning metformin w…
In vitro and in vivo porphyrin accumulation by C6 glioma cells after exposure to 5-aminolevulinic acid
Several malignant tissues synthesize endogenous porphyrins after exposure to 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). The present experiments have been designed to elucidate whether the C6 glioma cell, a model cell for human malignant glioma, similarly synthesizes porphyrins when exposed to 5-ALA, and whether specific synthesis occurs when C6 cells are inoculated into rat brains to form a tumor. In this situation the blood-brain barrier may interfere with 5-ALA availability, and spreading of porphyrins with edema outside the tumor may occur. Flow cytometry is used to determine the course of cell volume and porphyrin fluorescence intensities in cultured C6 cells which are incubated in 1 mM 5-ALA. For …
Escitalopram causes fewer seizures in human overdose than citalopram
Seizures are a recognized complication of acute overdose with the racemic (1:1 ratio of R- and S-enantiomers) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant citalopram.We tested the hypothesis that escitalopram (the therapeutically active S-enantiomer of citalopram) causes fewer seizures in overdose than citalopram at comparable doses of the S-enantiomer.Multicenter retrospective review of cases with citalopram and escitalopram overdose reported to German, Austrian, and Swiss Poisons Centers between 1997 and 2006.316 citalopram and 63 escitalopram cases were analyzed. Somnolence, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, QT prolongation, and tremor occurred with similar frequency in both groups…