Biomaterial Database

Coma mimicking brain death following baclofen overdose. 2000

M E Ostermann, and B Young, and W J Sibbald, and M W Nicolle

Department of Critical Care, London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario, Canada.

Baclofen toxicity can be a cause of profound coma with brainstem dysfunction mimicking brain death, and is mainly a clinical diagnosis. Measuring plasma levels is not always possible and may be misleading. Imaging results are usually normal. Electroencephalography may show a pattern of burst suppression. At present no effective specific therapy is available. However, as demonstrated in our case, the prognosis can be good even in severe cases, provided it is recognized early enough, and appropriate supportive measures are instituted.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009125	Muscle Relaxants, Central	A heterogeneous group of drugs used to produce muscle relaxation, excepting the neuromuscular blocking agents. They have their primary clinical and therapeutic uses in the treatment of muscle spasm and immobility associated with strains, sprains, and injuries of the back and, to a lesser degree, injuries to the neck. They have been used also for the treatment of a variety of clinical conditions that have in common only the presence of skeletal muscle hyperactivity, for example, the muscle spasms that can occur in MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. (From Smith and Reynard, Textbook of Pharmacology, 1991, p358)	Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants,Central Muscle Relaxants,Relaxants, Central Muscle
D001926	Brain Death	A state of prolonged irreversible cessation of all brain activity, including lower brain stem function with the complete absence of voluntary movements, responses to stimuli, brain stem reflexes, and spontaneous respirations. Reversible conditions which mimic this clinical state (e.g., sedative overdose, hypothermia, etc.) are excluded prior to making the determination of brain death. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp348-9)	Brain Dead,Coma Depasse,Irreversible Coma,Brain Deads,Coma, Irreversible,Death, Brain
D003128	Coma	A profound state of unconsciousness associated with depressed cerebral activity from which the individual cannot be aroused. Coma generally occurs when there is dysfunction or injury involving both cerebral hemispheres or the brain stem RETICULAR FORMATION.	Comatose,Pseudocoma,Comas,Pseudocomas
D003937	Diagnosis, Differential	Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures.	Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001418	Baclofen	A GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID derivative that is a specific agonist of GABA-B RECEPTORS. It is used in the treatment of MUSCLE SPASTICITY, especially that due to SPINAL CORD INJURIES. Its therapeutic effects result from actions at spinal and supraspinal sites, generally the reduction of excitatory transmission.	Baclophen,Chlorophenyl GABA,Apo-Baclofen,Atrofen,Ba-34,647,Ba-34647,Baclofen AWD,Baclofène-Irex,Baclospas,CIBA-34,647-BA,Clofen,Gen-Baclofen,Genpharm,Lebic,Lioresal,Liorésal,Nu-Baclo,PCP-GABA,PMS-Baclofen,beta-(Aminomethyl)-4-chlorobenzenepropanoic Acid,beta-(p-Chlorophenyl)-gamma-aminobutyric Acid,AWD, Baclofen,Apo Baclofen,ApoBaclofen,Ba34,647,Ba34647,Baclofène Irex,BaclofèneIrex,CIBA34,647BA,GABA, Chlorophenyl,Gen Baclofen,GenBaclofen,Nu Baclo,NuBaclo,PMS Baclofen,PMSBaclofen
D062787	Drug Overdose	Accidental or deliberate use of a medication or street drug in excess of normal dosage.	Drug Overdoses,Overdose, Drug,Overdoses, Drug