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RISK FACTORS FOR THE NEED OF INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ADMISSION AMONG ACUTE CLOZAPINE POISONED PATIENTS: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Article

Last updated: 22 Jan 2023

Subjects

-

Tags

• Clinical toxicology

Abstract

Introduction: Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic drug for the treatment of refractory schizophrenia. It is also seen as the most toxic in its class. Drug poisoning has been detected as one of the major causes of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The study aimed to develop a decision tool using readily available parameters in the emergency room for patients with acute clozapine poisoning to identify patients who need ICU admission. Patients and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was carried out on 121 patients with acute clozapine poisoning admitted to the Tanta University Poison Control Center. For each patient, demographic, toxicological, clinical data, laboratory findings, and electrocardiography records were analyzed against ICU admission. Results: The results revealed that 29 patients needed ICU admission, and they were significantly older than patients who did not. A significant association was found between the history of addiction and/or psychiatric illness, mode of poisoning, amount and dose of clozapine, and the need for ICU admission. Patients admitted to ICU had a significantly higher percentage of tachycardia, tachypnea, and hyperthermia, while they had a lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and oxygen saturation. Besides, they had a significantly higher percentage of hyperglycemia, respiratory alkalosis, and prolonged QTc interval. There was a significant association between the need for ICU admission and both electrocardiogram (ECG) severity grading and acute clozapine poisoning severity score. The logistic regression model showed that large doses of clozapine, tachypnea, increased the severity of ECG grading, and decreased level of O2 saturation on admission significantly increased the probability of requiring ICU admission. Based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, take a dose of clozapine at a cut-off value above 250 mg is a good predictor of the need for ICU admission. Conclusion: It could be concluded that higher taken doses of clozapine, tachypnea, low O2 saturation, and increased severity of ECG grading are considered independent predictors of the need for ICU admission in acute clozapine poisoned patients.

DOI

10.21608/ejfsat.2020.43176.1168

Keywords

Clozapine, Acute poisoning, Intensive Care Unit, Predictors, Drug dose

Authors

First Name

Amira

Last Name

Wahdan

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.

Email

amira.wahdan@med.tanta.edu.eg

City

Tanta

Orcid

-

First Name

Sara

Last Name

El Sharkawy

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

Email

sara.elsharkawy@med.tanta.edu.eg

City

Tanta

Orcid

-

First Name

Mohamed

Last Name

Afandy

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Anesthesia, Surgical Intensive Care and Pain Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.

Email

mohamedafandy811@yahoo.com

City

Tanta

Orcid

-

First Name

Heba

Last Name

Lashin

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Forensic medicine and Clinical toxicology department, Faculty of medicine, Tanta University, Egypt

Email

heba.lashen@med.tanta.edu.eg

City

Tanta

Orcid

0000-0001-9223-9008

Volume

22

Article Issue

2

Related Issue

33202

Issue Date

2022-06-01

Receive Date

2020-09-16

Publish Date

2022-06-01

Page Start

83

Page End

102

Print ISSN

1687-0875

Online ISSN

2535-1915

Link

https://ejfsat.journals.ekb.eg/article_243212.html

Detail API

https://ejfsat.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=243212

Order

7

Type

Original Article

Type Code

429

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

The Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences and Applied Toxicology

Publication Link

https://ejfsat.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

-

Details

Type

Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023