Biomaterial Database

Fatal colchicine overdose: report of a case and review of the literature. 1998

S T Milne, and P D Meek

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, OH 45267-0769, USA.

Colchicine poisoning is an uncommon, but potentially life-threatening, toxicologic emergency. A case is reported of a 21-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department approximately 1 hour after ingesting 30 mg of colchicine in a suicide attempt. Her clinical course included gastrointestinal distress, metabolic acidosis, pancytopenia, hypotension, adult respiratory distress syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, and hypocalcemia. Despite aggressive medical management, the patient suffered a cardiac arrest and died 8 days after the ingestion. The clinical features of colchicine poisoning are highlighted and current therapeutic options are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011041	Poisoning	A condition or physical state produced by the ingestion, injection, inhalation of or exposure to a deleterious agent.	Poisonings
D003078	Colchicine	A major alkaloid from Colchicum autumnale L. and found also in other Colchicum species. Its primary therapeutic use is in the treatment of gout, but it has been used also in the therapy of familial Mediterranean fever (PERIODIC DISEASE).	Colchicine, (+-)-Isomer,Colchicine, (R)-Isomer
D004638	Emergency Treatment	First aid or other immediate intervention for accidents or medical conditions requiring immediate care and treatment before definitive medical and surgical management can be procured.	Emergency Therapy,Therapy, Emergency,Emergency Therapies,Emergency Treatments,Therapies, Emergency,Treatment, Emergency,Treatments, Emergency
D005260	Female		Females
D006074	Gout Suppressants	Agents that increase uric acid excretion by the kidney (URICOSURIC AGENTS), decrease uric acid production (antihyperuricemics), or alleviate the pain and inflammation of acute attacks of gout.	Antigout Agents,Antihyperuricemic,Antihyperuricemics,Agents, Antigout,Suppressants, Gout
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
D013405	Suicide	The act of killing oneself.	Suicides
D017809	Fatal Outcome	Death resulting from the presence of a disease in an individual, as shown by a single case report or a limited number of patients. This should be differentiated from DEATH, the physiological cessation of life and from MORTALITY, an epidemiological or statistical concept.	Fatal Outcomes,Outcome, Fatal,Outcomes, Fatal