Open AccessMassive Pulmonary Embolism after Overdose of Oral Benzodiazepine
Author(s) -
Ho SW,
Yeh YT,
Wu CH,
Liu YC,
Yeh CB
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
hong kong journal of emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.145
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2309-5407
pISSN - 1024-9079
DOI - 10.1177/102490791502200308
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , alprazolam , pulmonary embolism , benzodiazepine , anesthesia , flumazenil , coma (optics) , intubation , surgery , anxiety , physics , receptor , psychiatry , optics
Overdose of benzodiazepines rarely causes morbidity or mortality. A 58‐year‐old woman presented to the emergency department in coma after ingestion of 30 tablets of 0.5 mg alprazolam. She recovered after flumazenil was administered. However, massive pulmonary embolism developed during observation in the emergency department. Endotracheal intubation and recombinant tissue plasminogen activator infusion were initiated. This case report highlights that benzodiazepine overdose can contribute to pulmonary embolism which is a life‐threatening condition.