Haemoperfusion with R-004 Amberlite resin for treating acute poisoning

Eleven patients who had taken overdoses of barbiturates, glutethimide, tricyclic antidepressants, and chloroquine were treated by resin haemoperfusion using an R-004 haemoperfusion cartridge containing XAD-4 resin. All but one patient showed rapid clinical recovery and the drugs were cleared rapidly from the plasma. There were few complications. Resin haemoperfusion is more effective than dialysis and other perfusion methods, especially in poisoning with tricyclic antidepressants. Although haemoperfusion is expensive, it greatly reduces the length of the patient's stay in an intensive care unit and hence is cost-effective.