Acute caffeine ingestion fatalities: management issues

Vet Hum Toxicol. 1997 Aug;39(4):228-30.

Abstract

Caffeine is used and abused on a daily basis in different beverages, OTC products, and as a prescribed medication. The strength varies widely from negligible in decaffeinated drinks to medicinal grade of 200 mg/tablet. A total of 7,655 exposures were recorded in 1995 by the AAPCC Toxic Exposure Surveillance System with no fatality. However, within a 4-mo period, the Panhandle Poison Center recorded 2 deaths due to caffeine overdose. The abrupt onset of intractable seizures needs to be anticipated in order to appropriately manage the victims and to prevent the adverse outcome.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Caffeine / analysis
  • Caffeine / poisoning*
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / poisoning*
  • Diet
  • Drug Overdose / epidemiology
  • Drug Overdose / therapy*
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / chemistry
  • Poison Control Centers
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Seizures / etiology
  • Texas / epidemiology

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Caffeine