I ntoxication is a commonly encountered phenomenon. The etiology varies widely, and many different toxins can be involved. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, 178 425 cases of poisoning were treated in German hospitals in 2016 (1, 2). A poison control center (PCC) is often consulted by medical and paramedical personnel (emergency rescue services, officebased physicians, hospital physicians, and pharmacists) or by members of the population for toxicological advice. Determination of the indication for treatment with activated char coal-also known as activated carbon-plays a major role in eliminating the toxic capability of a potentially hazardous substance. Activated charcoal was given in 0.89% of cases of poisoning in childhood registered in the USA in 2013. In that year, it was recommended in circa 50 000 patients across all age groups (3, 4). In Ger-Summary Background: In 2016, according to the German Federal Statistical Office, 178 425 cases of intoxication (poisoning) were treated in German hospitals. The poison control centers in the German-speaking countries gave advice in a total of 268 787 instances of poisoning in that year, and use of activated charcoal was recommended in 4.37% of cases. The application of activated charcoal plays a major role in both primary and secondary detoxification. This article serves as an overview of the mechanism of action, indications, contraindications, modes of application, and dosing of activated charcoal. Methods: This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search in PubMed. The opinions of experts from the poison control centers in the German-speaking countries were considered in the interpretation of the data. Results: The administration of activated charcoal is indicated to treat moderately severe to life-threatening intoxication. It should be carried out as soon as possible, within the first hour of the ingestion; timed-release preparations can be given up to 6 hours after the ingestion. An important contraindication is impaired consciousness with the danger of aspiration in a patient whose airway has not yet been secured. Activated charcoal is ineffective or inadequately effective in cases of poisoning with acids or bases, alcohols, organic solvents, inorganic salts, or metals. The proper dosage consists of an amount that is 10 to 40 times as much as that of the intoxicating substance, or else 0.5-1 g/kg body weight in children or 50 g in adults. Repeated application is indicated for intoxications with agents that persist for a longer time in the stomach and for intoxications with timed-release drugs or drugs with a marked enterohepatic or entero-enteric circulation. The routine combination of activated charcoal with a laxative is not recommended. Conclusion: Even though intoxications are common, there is still no internationally valid guideline concerning the administration of activated charcoal. A precise analysis of the risks and benefits is needed for each administration, and a poison control center should be consulte...

CONTEXT: 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. OBJEC-TIVE: 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. METHODS: Multicenter retrospective review of cases with citalopram and escitalopram overdose reported to German, Austrian, and Swiss Poisons Centers between 1997 and 2006. RESULTS: 316 citalopram and 63 escitalopram cases were analyzed. Somnolence, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, QT prolongation, and tremor occurred with similar frequency in both groups. There was a striking difference in the frequency of single and multiple seizures: 43 cases (13.5%) in the citalopram group and 1 case (1.6%) with a single seizure in the escitalopram group (p=0.0065). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: At comparable ingested doses of the S-enantiomer, the symptom profile for citalopram and escitalopram intoxications is similar except for seizures that occur more frequently in citalopram than in escitalopram poisoning.

Although paediatric patients frequently suffer from intoxications with atypical antipsychotics, the number of studies in young children, which have assessed the effects of acute exposure to this class of drugs, is very limited. The aim of this study was to achieve a better characterization of the acute toxicity profile in young children of the atypical antipsychotics clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone. We performed a multicentre retrospective analysis of cases with atypical antipsychotics intoxication in children younger than 6 years, reported by physicians to German, Austrian, and Swiss Poisons Centres for the 9-year period between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2009. One hundred and six cases (31 clozapine, 29 olanzapine, 12 quetiapine, and 34 risperidone) were available for analysis. Forty-seven of the children showed minor, 28 moderate, and 2 severe symptoms. Twenty-nine cases were asymptomatic. No fatalities were recorded. Symptoms predominantly involved the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Minor reduction in vigilance (Glasgow Coma Scale score >9) (62 %) was the most frequently reported symptom, followed by miosis (12 %) and mild tachycardia (10 %). Extrapyramidal motor symptoms were observed in one case (1 %) after ingestion of risperidone. In most cases, surveillance and supportive care were sufficient to achieve a good outcome, and all children made full recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric antipsychotic exposure can result in significant poisoning; however, in most cases only minor or moderate symptoms occurred and were followed by complete recovery. Symptomatic patients should be monitored for central nervous system depression and an electrocardiogram should be obtained.

As no or only minor symptoms were observed after ingestion of less than a fivefold MDDw in both children and adults, only symptomatic patients and those who have ingested a fivefold MDDw or higher dose should be referred for medical assessment.

Attempted suicides and poisonings in pregnancy are a challenge for health care professionals because of the unknown effects of the toxic agent and the antidote therapy on the unborn. In case of intoxication, the malformation risk is often overestimated. In contrast, pertinent data show that the risk is not very high as long as the drug is not known as a teratogen and the mother's health is not substantially impaired. This applies to suicide attempts with acetaminophen, iron-containing products, and multidrug overdoses with psychopharmaceuticals as well as snake and spider bites and the ingestion of poisonous mushrooms. It is of utmost importance that the pregnant patient receives the same detoxification and supportive therapy following pertinent guidelines as a non-pregnant patient. The fetus should be followed-up by ultrasound with special focus on its vital parameters, movement pattern, and normal growth and organ differentiation. As long as the maternal health status is not substantially impaired, there is no indication to discuss elective termination of pregnancy "for toxicological reasons".