Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
10:37
Ferric Chloride-induced Murine Thrombosis Models
Published on: September 5, 2016
[Colchicine poisoning: a case report]
Annales De Biologie Clinique
|October 1, 2009
Summary
Colchicine poisoning is a rare but serious event, often fatal due to multiple organ failure. This case highlights the challenges in managing colchicine overdose without a specific antidote.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Pharmacology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Colchicine is a widely prescribed medication for gout management.
- Colchicine poisoning, though rare, carries significant morbidity and mortality.
- Suicide attempts involving colchicine ingestion pose a critical medical emergency.
Observation:
- A 16-year-old female presented with gastrointestinal symptoms and altered consciousness after ingesting an unknown quantity of colchicine.
- The patient required intensive care unit admission for management of severe poisoning.
- Despite intensive medical support, the patient succumbed to multi-organ failure after ten days.
Findings:
- Colchicine overdose can rapidly lead to severe systemic toxicity.
- Prognostic factors in colchicine poisoning are critical for clinical decision-making.
- Management is challenging due to the lack of a specific antidote and defined emergency pharmacologic interventions.
Implications:
- This case underscores the critical need for increased awareness of colchicine's toxicity.
- Further research into potential antidotes or enhanced supportive care for colchicine poisoning is warranted.
- Physicians must be vigilant in assessing and managing patients with suspected colchicine overdose.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Anticholinesterase Agents: Poisoning and Treatment
Anticholinesterases, also known as cholinesterase inhibitors, work by blocking the breakdown of acetylcholine, leading to its accumulation in the synaptic cleft. This accumulation indirectly enhances both muscarinic and nicotinic actions. These agents are classified as reversible or irreversible based on their mechanism of action.
Irreversible agents form a strong bond with the cholinesterase enzyme, making it inactive. The breakdown of the phosphorylated enzyme is slower than the...
Irreversible agents form a strong bond with the cholinesterase enzyme, making it inactive. The breakdown of the phosphorylated enzyme is slower than the...
01:26Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Treatment Strategies
Treatment strategies for poisoning are a critical aspect of emergency medicine, focusing on preventing the absorption of toxins and enhancing their elimination. When a poisoning incident occurs, the first response is to halt exposure and decontaminate the patient, particularly through gastrointestinal (GI) methods if the poison was ingested.Gastrointestinal Decontamination Techniques:Activated charcoal is the cornerstone of GI decontamination. It works through adsorption, binding the toxin to...
01:26Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios
Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...
01:10Drugs that Destabilize Microtubules
Microtubules are dynamic structures and can be regulated by microtubule targeting agents (MTAs). Microtubule destabilizing drugs are a class of MTAs that destabilize and prevent microtubules' polymerization. Both natural and synthetic chemicals can be found under this class of drugs. Vincristine and vinblastine, two vinca alkaloids, and colchicine were among the first to be discovered. These drugs can affect cells in various ways, either by inducing a change in cell morphology, preventing...
01:00Drug Toxicity: Overview
Drug toxicity quantifies the harm a compound causes to an organism, varying by dose and potentially impacting whole systems or specific organs like the liver. Toxic reactions may arise from venomous insect or spider bites, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to severe outcomes such as brain damage or death. Common forms of acute poisoning include ethanol intoxication and overdose of pain or fever medications, with substances like GHB and heroin being particularly lethal at doses close to...
01:16Drug toxicity: Idiosyncratic Reactions
Idiosyncratic drug reactions represent abnormal chemical responses that vary significantly among individuals, ranging from extreme sensitivity to low doses to insensitivity to high doses. These reactions often occur due to the drug's covalent binding with serum proteins, forming a foreign hapten that triggers an immunotoxicological response. The variability in drug reactions has a strong pharmacogenetic foundation, with genetic differences crucial in how individuals metabolize drugs. For...