Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Calcium channel blocker toxicity.

E A Ramoska1, H A Spiller, A Myers

  • 1Division of Emergency Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Annals of Emergency Medicine
|June 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Gut microbiome associations with acute malnutrition relapse in South Sudan.

Microbiology spectrum·2026
Same author

A phase I study of TAK-659 and paclitaxel in patients with taxane-refractory advanced solid tumors.

ESMO open·2024
Same author

Probing Strong-Field QED with Doppler-Boosted Petawatt-Class Lasers.

Physical review letters·2021
Same author

Benzodiazepine exposures among women of reproductive age in the US, 2004-2018.

Human & experimental toxicology·2021
Same author

Drugs that target aging: how do we discover them?

Expert opinion on drug discovery·2019
Same author

Polygenic Risk Score Analysis of Alzheimer's Disease in Cases without APOE4 or APOE2 Alleles.

The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease·2018
Same journal

Variation in Emergency Department Experience With Pediatric Critical Illness.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Point-of-Care Ultrasound-Guided Hydrostatic Reduction of Ileocolic Intussusception in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Managing Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Needle Thoracostomy: Implications of Chest Wall Thickness for Anatomical Location and Needle Length.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Women Emergency Physicians and Gender Disparities from Entry to Advancement.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Policy Statements Approved March 2026.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
See all related articles

Calcium channel blocker overdoses, particularly verapamil, can cause significant toxicity, including conduction abnormalities. Diltiazem overdoses rarely lead to severe symptoms, indicating varying risks among these common medications.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Toxicology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are widely prescribed for cardiovascular conditions.
  • CCB overdose can lead to serious toxicity, necessitating understanding of drug-specific risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the toxicity profiles of verapamil, nifedipine, and diltiazem following overdose.
  • To compare the frequency and types of toxic manifestations across different CCBs.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 91 patient cases reported to a poison control center for CCB overdose.
  • Exclusion of allergic reactions, co-ingestions, and lost follow-up cases.
  • Analysis of toxicity symptoms including hypotension, conduction abnormalities, arrhythmias, and neurological effects.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Verapamil overdose (38 cases) frequently caused toxicity (18 patients), with significant conduction abnormalities (13 patients) and hypotension (9 patients).
  • Nifedipine overdose (31 cases) resulted in toxicity in 7 patients, with less frequent conduction issues and hypotension compared to verapamil.
  • Diltiazem overdose (24 cases) showed uncommon and minor toxicity (4 patients).
  • Conduction abnormalities were significantly more frequent with verapamil than nifedipine (P < .05).

Conclusions:

  • Verapamil overdose poses a higher risk for severe toxicity, especially conduction system abnormalities, compared to nifedipine and diltiazem.
  • Diltiazem overdose is associated with a lower incidence of significant toxic manifestations.
  • Treatment for CCB overdose may require interventions beyond gastrointestinal decontamination, with calcium being helpful in some cases.