Toxicities and outcomes associated with nefazodone poisoning: An analysis of 1,338 exposures

Toxicities and medical outcomes associated with nefazodone poisoning were c haracterized using national poisoning data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers and through prospective collection of additional da ta elements. Nefazodone exposures involving concomitant agents were exclude d. There were 1,338 human exposures included in the final data analysis. Se venty-five percent of exposures were acute and 20% involved children <13 ye ars. Twenty-five percent of patients remained asymptomatic. There were no d eaths. No dose response relationship was evident in the 45 cases where esti mated doses were available. The most common manifestations were drowsiness (17.3% of all patients), nausea (9.7%), and dizziness (9.5%). The most comm on serious clinical effect was hypotension (1.6%). The median onset time fo r symptoms was 1.75 hours. Manifestations resolved within 8 to 24 hours. Mo st patients were treated with only gastrointestinal decontamination. No pat ients required intubation, mechanical ventilation, or vasopressors. Nefazod one appears to be of low toxicity during poisonings. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.