Biomaterial Database

Treatment of phenobarbital overdose with activated charcoal. 1982

M J Goldberg, and W G Berlinger

Patients with phenobarbital overdose who are treated only with supportive care may remain comatose for several days because of the long elimination half-life of phenobarbital. We treated two patients with phenobarbital overdoses with the nasogastric administration of multiple doses of activated charcoal. This safe therapy markedly shortened both the elimination half-life of phenobarbital and the duration of coma in these patients. If all such patients respond similarly, we believe that the nasogastric administration of multiple doses of activated charcoal is the method of choice to accelerate the elimination of phenobarbital from the body.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007441	Intubation, Gastrointestinal	The insertion of a tube into the stomach, intestines, or other portion of the gastrointestinal tract to allow for the passage of food products, etc.	Intubation, Nasogastric,Gastrointestinal Intubation,Gastrointestinal Intubations,Intubations, Gastrointestinal,Intubations, Nasogastric,Nasogastric Intubation,Nasogastric Intubations
D008297	Male		Males
D010634	Phenobarbital	A barbituric acid derivative that acts as a nonselective central nervous system depressant. It potentiates GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID action on GABA-A RECEPTORS, and modulates chloride currents through receptor channels. It also inhibits glutamate induced depolarizations.	Phenemal,Phenobarbitone,Phenylbarbital,Gardenal,Hysteps,Luminal,Phenobarbital Sodium,Phenobarbital, Monosodium Salt,Phenylethylbarbituric Acid,Acid, Phenylethylbarbituric,Monosodium Salt Phenobarbital,Sodium, Phenobarbital
D002606	Charcoal	An amorphous form of carbon prepared from the incomplete combustion of animal or vegetable matter, e.g., wood. The activated form of charcoal is used in the treatment of poisoning. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Activated Charcoal,Actidose,Actidose-Aqua,Adsorba,Carbomix,Charbon,CharcoAid,CharcoCaps,Charcodote,Formocarbine,Insta-Char,Kohle-Compretten,Kohle-Hevert,Kohle-Pulvis,Kohle-Tabletten Boxo-Pharm,Liqui-Char,Norit,Ultracarbon,Charcoal, Activated
D005260	Female		Females
D006207	Half-Life	The time it takes for a substance (drug, radioactive nuclide, or other) to lose half of its pharmacologic, physiologic, or radiologic activity.	Halflife,Half Life,Half-Lifes,Halflifes
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults