Membrane stabilising activity: a major cause of fatal poisoning

Many of the agents held responsible for fatal poisoning in England and Wales--particularly dextropropoxyphene, tricyclic antidepressants, beta-adrenergic antagonists, and chlorpromazine--possess membrane stabilising activity (MSA). This pharmacological property, although regarded as being of little importance in therapeutic use, may be responsible for death in more than 30% of fatal poisonings. Awareness of this possibility may lead to greater care in the prescribing of drugs with this property, to the development of safer alternatives, and to more rational therapy of the poisoned patient.