Drug overdose
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Last reviewed: May 2018
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Medicine or Drug Overdose | myVMC
A drug overdose occurs after a person consumes too much of a drug, medication or poison. Overdose can occur accidentally when a person inadvertently takes the incorrect medication or dose, or when they intentionally misuse drugs to get high or with the intention of self-harming (e.g. committing suicide).
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Drug overdose - Better Health Channel
Alcohol, medications, illegal drugs and some herbal remedies can all cause damage if an overdose is taken.
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ADF - Insights - An overdose happens when a toxic amount of a drug or a combination of drugs causes a severe adverse reaction.
Many people think this is the result of consuming too much of a drug. This is often the case. Combining drugs, and alcohol increases chances of overdosing..
Read more on Alcohol and Drug Foundation website
6 lifesaving tips when taking medication - ADF - Alcohol & Drug Foundation
No medications are completely safe. The number of Australians overdosing on pharmaceutical drugs has now overtaken the road toll..
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Things to ask your GP - ADF - Alcohol & Drug Foundation
We have a problem in Australia with the over prescription of some medications, causing many of us unnecessary side effects including addiction and overdose
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ADF - Drug Facts - Inhalants
Inhalants are common household, industrial and medical products that produce vapours, which some people inhale to make them feel intoxicated or high.
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Cocaine: use with other drugs - myDr.com.au
Snorting and injecting cocaine can result in long-term effects on your health.
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ADF - Drug Facts - PMA & PMMA
PMA & PMMA are stimulants with hallucinogenic effects similar to MDMA. In fact most people who take PMA or PMMA think they are taking ecstasy.
Read more on Alcohol and Drug Foundation website
Carbosorb X Oral suspension - myDr.com.au
Carbosorb X Oral suspension - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
DigiFab Powder for infusion - myDr.com.au
DigiFab Powder for infusion - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Top results
Aerosolized prostacyclin for acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) | Cochrane
The clinical research is insufficient to support the routine use of inhaled prostacyclin for acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome in critically ill children or adults with low blood oxygen levels. Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are critical respiratory conditions that are triggered by respiratory viral infections or develop following burns, massive transfusions, multiple trauma, aspiration of gastric contents, pancreatitis, inhalation injury, sepsis, drug overdose and near drowning.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Community use of naloxonefor opioid overdose | Issue 4 | Volume 40 | Australian Prescriber | Australian Prescriber
Will training laypeople in the use of naloxone reduce accidental opioid overdose deaths?
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
Evidence on interventions for paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose patients is weak | Cochrane
Poisoning with paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a common cause of hepatic injury. The evidence for all interventions for paracetamol overdose is weak. Activated charcoal, gastric lavage, and ipecacuanha are able to reduce absorption of paracetamol if started within one to two hours of paracetamol ingestion, but the clinical benefit is unclear. Activated charcoal seems to be the best choice if the patient is compliant. N-acetylcysteine seems superior to no intervention and other antidotes (dimercaprol, cysteamine) and should be administered to patients at significant risk of hepatic damage. However, N-acetylcysteine superiority to methionine is unclear. Liver transplantation will clearly benefit patients with irreversible hepatic failure. However, identifying such patients early is problematic and the long-term outcomes in this group of patients have not been reported. Other interventions have not shown any clinical benefit for paracetamol overdose.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Management of digoxin toxicity | Issue 1 | Volume 39 | Australian Prescriber
Digoxin toxicity can emerge during long-term therapy for heart failure as well as after an overdose.
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Drug diversion | Issue 5 | Volume 38 | Australian Prescriber
Prescription drug diversion has significant health, legal and social implications. Deaths from misuse of prescription drugs account for a significant...
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
The failure of drug prohibition and the future of drug law reform in Australia | Issue 5 | Volume 38 | Australian Prescriber
If Australia starts moving from criminal to civil penalties for drugs, the thresholds for drug offences will need to be raised and the severity of criminal...
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
Tricyclics and related drugs for treating bedwetting in children | Cochrane
Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis or enuresis) is the involuntary loss of urine during sleep without being caused by a physical disorder. It can result in social, emotional and psychological problems and lower quality of life. It affects around 15% to 20% of five-year-olds, and can persist in up to 2% of adults. Many different types of drugs have been used to treat bedwetting, both as a single treatment and in combination with other treatments. Tricyclics are antidepressants, which have been used for treating bedwetting since the 1960s. They probably work by their antispasmodic effect on the bladder. This review examines 64 trials of tricyclic drugs, involving 4071 children.
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Drugs and natural products for self-harm in adults | Cochrane
We have reviewed the international literature regarding pharmacological (drug) and natural product (dietary supplementation) treatment trials in this field. A total of seven trials meeting our inclusion criteria were identified. There is little evidence of beneficial effects of either pharmacological or natural product treatments. However, few trials have been conducted and those that have are small, meaning that possible beneficial effects of some therapies cannot be ruled out.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Dealing with drug-seeking behaviour | Issue 3 | Volume 39 | Australian Prescriber
People who misuse prescription drugs most commonly seek prescriptions for opioids and benzodiazepines. Other...
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
Managing osteoarthritis | Issue 4 | Volume 38 | Australian Prescriber
Management of osteoarthritis should be based on a combination of non-drug and drug treatments targeted towards prevention, modifying risk and disease...
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
