Background: Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) toxicity results predominantly from myocardial sodium-channel blockade. Subsequent ventricular dysrhythmias, myocardial depression, and hypotension cause cardiovascular collapse. Animal studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of intravenous lipid-emulsion in treating TCA cardiotoxicity.
Case report: We report a case of dothiepin (tricyclic antidepressant) overdose causing refractory cardiovascular collapse, which seemed to be successfully reversed with lipid-emulsion therapy (Intralipid(®); Fresenius, Cheshire, UK).
Conclusions: Lipid emulsions are a potentially novel therapy for reversing cardiotoxicity seen in TCA overdose. Research is required into the role of lipid emulsion in the management of poisoning by oral lipophilic agents.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.