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Management of calcium channel blocker overdoses
Author(s) -
Shenoy Sundeep,
Lankala Shilpa,
Adigopula Sasikanth
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of hospital medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.128
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1553-5606
pISSN - 1553-5592
DOI - 10.1002/jhm.2241
Subject(s) - medicine , intensive care medicine , calcium channel blocker , angina , insulin , drug overdose , heart failure , hospital medicine , calcium , emergency medicine , poison control , myocardial infarction
Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are some of the most commonly used medications in clinical practice to treat hypertension, angina, cardiac arrhythmias, and some cases of heart failure. Recent data show that CCBs are the most common of the cardiovascular medications noted in intentional or unintentional overdoses. 1 Novel treatment approaches in the form of glucagon, high‐dose insulin therapy, and intravenous lipid emulsion therapies have been tried and have been successful. However, the evidence for these are limited to case reports and case series. We take this opportunity to review the various treatment options in the management of CCB overdoses with a special focus on high‐dose insulin therapy as the emerging choice for initial therapy in severe overdoses. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2014;9:663–668. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine