May 23, 2010

EMS Management of Calcium Channel Blockers OD and Episode 220

MedicCast Episode 220

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EMS News—

Paramedic Cautioned After Child’s Death

Florida County Struggles With Paying for Rescue Sevices

Ohio Provider Seeks Regulation Relief

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Tip This Week —Calcium Channel Blocker Overdose With Lisa Booze of Maryland Poison Center

Calcium channel blockers and beta blockers are drugs primarily used for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and arrhythmias. They are very commonly prescribed and very commonly involved in unintentional as well as intentional overdoses.

EMS providers looking at patients with symptoms of overdose include confusion, dizziness, confussion, arrhythmia, slurred speech, bradycardia, SOB and weakness should ask if the patient is taking calcium channel blockers and suspect overdose if they are.

To resolve the symptoms, protocols for the treatment of bradycardia and hypotension should be followed, and may include atropine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, other vasopressors and IV fluids. Calcium and Glucagon may also be given as antidotes to calcium channel blockers.

For patients following treatment of overdose, calcium levels should be monitored and observed for complications of overaggressive calcium administration.

Refer to the links below for more on calcium channel blockers overdose.

NIH Article on Calcium Channel Blocker Overdose

Medscape article on Calcium Channel Blocker Toxicity

Maryland Poison Center

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Song this week: Adrina Thorpe with “Everything Changes”