Nitroglycerin overdose

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Nitroglycerin overdose

Definition:

Nitroglycerin poisoning occurs when an overdose of nitroglycerin (used as medication to open coronary blood vessels) has been swallowed.

Poisonous Ingredient:

Nitroglycerin

Where Found:

Nitroglycerin in solid (tablet) form:

Tridil
Nitro-Bid
Nitrostat
Nitrolingual
Nitrogard
Nitrong
Nitrocine
Nitroglyn
Minitran
Nitro-Dur
Transderm-Nitro
Deponit
Nitrodisc
Nitrol

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms:

Body as a whole
- Coma
- Confusion
- Death
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Flushing
- Headache
Respiratory
- Shortness of breath
- Slow breathing
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Difficulty seeing
Skin
- Bluish color to lips and fingernails
- Cold
Gastrointestinal
- Diarrhea
- Cramping
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
Heart and blood vessels
- Low blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Rapid heartbeat or slow heartbeat
Nervous system
- Convulsions

Home Treatment:

DO NOT induce vomiting.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

Patient's age, weight, and condition
The name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
When it was swallowed
The amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

Call Poison Control or your local emergency number -- they will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. If possible, take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

Administering activated charcoal
Administering a laxative
Emptying the stomach (gastric lavage)
Administering artificial respiration (breathing)
Maintaining adequate respiration rate
Treating the symptoms

Expectations (prognosis):

Deaths have occurred, but are rare.

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