Diagnosis and management of phencyclidine intoxication

Because phencyclidine intoxication has both psychiatric and physical manifestations, it continues to present a challenge to physicians. Intoxication may be viewed as occurring in three stages. Mild intoxication, the first and most common stage, is manifested primarily by psychiatric signs and symptoms. In the second stage, patients are stuporous to comatose, but they have intact deep pain responses. In the third stage, patients do not respond to deep pain stimuli. Treatment depends on the stage of intoxication.