Health Care Encyclopedia
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Codeine overdoseDefinition: Codeine overdose is poisoning from codeine, which is found in many pain-relieving prescription medications.
Alternative Names: Methylmorphine overdose
Poisonous Ingredient: Codeine
Where Found: - Tylenol #3
- Actifed with Codeine
- Robitussin A-C
- Empirin #3
- Gelonida
- Voltaren forte
- Oxa forte
Note: This list may not be all inclusive.
Before Calling Emergency: Determine the following information: - Patient's age, weight, and condition
- The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
- When it was swallowed
- The amount swallowed
- If the medication was prescribed for the patient
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 hospital, if possible. See National Poison Control center.
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. The patient may receive: - Medicines to treat symptoms
- Activated charcoal
- Laxative
- A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)���
- Breathing help (possibly artificial respiration)
- A narcotic antagonist (medicine to reverse the effect of the painkiller)
Expectations (prognosis): Patients usually get better in 24 hours if an antidote is given.
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| Review Date: 4/4/2006
Reviewed By: Janeen R. Azare, PhD, MSPH, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer 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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