Health Care Encyclopedia
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Aspirin overdoseDefinition: This is poisoning from taking an excessive amount of aspirin.
Alternative Names: Acetylsalicylic acid overdose; Aspergum overdose; Bufferin overdose; Ecotrin overdose
Poisonous Ingredient: Acetylsalicylic acid
Where Found: Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) can be found in many prescription and over-the-counter pain relievers, including: - Alka Seltzer
- Anacin
- Bayer
- Bufferin
- Ecotrin
- Excedrin
- Fiorinal
- Percodan
- St. Joseph's
Note: This list may not be all inclusive.
Symptoms: - Body as a whole
- Heart and blood vessels
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
- Respiratory
- Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat
- Gastrointestinal
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Bleeding
- Nervous system
Before Calling Emergency: Determine the following information: - Patient's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
Poison Control, or a local emergency number: The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions. This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the U.S. use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Take the container with you to the emergency room.
What to expect at the emergency room: The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Lab tests may be done to determine how much aspirin is in the blood. The patient may receive: - Fluids
- Medicines to treat symptoms
- Activated charcoal
- Laxative
- A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)�
- Artificial respiration
Expectations (prognosis): How well a patient does�depends on how much aspirin is in the�blood. Levels ranging from�150 mg/kg to 300 mg/kg�can be dangerous, depending on the person's weight.� A person is more likely to recover if proper medical treatment is quickly received.
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| Review Date: 2/10/2006
Reviewed By: Janeen R. Azare, PhD, MSPH, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-KetteringCancer Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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