Poisoning can happen not only with food but also with the medicines you take. Symptoms of drug poisoning can vary from person to person and need to be treated immediately. What are the symptoms of drug poisoning, and how is it treated? Check out the following review.
Apa Itu Keracunan Obat?
Drug poisoning is a condition in which a person experiences the wrong use of drugs, either in the form of under- or over-dosing, combining them with other types of drugs, causing drug interactions. Drug poisoning can also occur due to the consumption of drugs with certain foods or drinks or hypersensitivity to the compounds contained in the drugs.
Basically, any type of drug can trigger drug poisoning, but some drugs that are at high risk of causing drug poisoning include opioid drugs, including prescription painkillers, benzodiazepines, and stimulants such as drugs containing methamphetamine or cocaine.
Cases of drug poisoning are a type of emergency condition that requires immediate treatment. If you experience symptoms of drug poisoning, you should immediately take them to the nearest hospital.
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Symptoms of Drug Poisoning
Symptoms of drug poisoning can vary, and it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between symptoms of intoxication or drug side effects. Symptoms of drug poisoning also depend on the type and amount of medication taken and a person's sensitivity to certain substances or drugs. In general, symptoms of drug poisoning include:
- Confusion
- Decrease in consciousness or fainting
- Seizures
- Nausea and vomiting
- Irregular breathing pattern
- Very low body temperature
- Pale or bluish complexion
The type of drug causing the poisoning may also show different symptoms. In people who are poisoned by opioid drugs to relieve pain, some of the symptoms that appear are generally slowed breathing, nausea, and vomiting. Whereas for paracetamol drug poisoning, symptoms generally only appear for a few days.
Read more: Panduan Membeli Obat Over-the-Counter (Obat Bebas) untuk Pilek dan Flu
How to Deal With Drug Poisoning
Treatment for drug overdose varies depending on the patient's condition. If the patient is unconscious and stops breathing, you should immediately take them to the nearest emergency service or call an ambulance. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, some of the treatments you can do include:
- Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the patient does not respond when called and the pulse is not palpable.
- If the patient is conscious, you can give activated charcoal to absorb toxins in the digestive tract.
- If the patient vomits, help the patient clear the airway, mouth, and throat of any remaining vomit.
- If the patient is unconscious, avoid putting anything in their mouth.
The condition of drug poisoning is an emergency and requires immediate treatment. For this reason, if someone shows symptoms of drug poisoning after taking certain drugs, you should consult a doctor.
As a precautionary measure, you should avoid taking medicines outside of the doctor's recommendations, and avoid mixing medicines with food or drinks that can trigger the risk of poisoning.
If you have any questions about taking medication, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist when purchasing medication. If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr. Monica Salim
WebMD Editorial Contributors. (2021). Drug Overdose Treatment. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/drug-overdose-treatment
Miller, L. (2023). Overdose Symptoms, Risks, and Treatment. Available from: https://americanaddictioncenters.org/overdose
Ellis, E. (2020). Drug Overdose. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/drug-overdose
Hazell, T. (2023). Paracetamol Overdose. Available from: https://patient.info/treatment-medication/paracetamol-overdose#