[Acute neuroleptic poisoning]

According to the record of the Poison Control Centre in Zagreb, drugs most frequently implicated in poisoning episodes were benzodiazepines, neuroleptics, anticonvulsants including barbiturates, fluorides and antidepressants, which comprised more than 40% of all drug poisonings. More than 90% of neuroleptic poisonings were symptomatic on admission, 19% were comatose, 45% were drowsy, in 15% extrapyramidal symptoms were present, and only 9% were without symptoms. Severe poisonings in adults were almost all due to suicidal ingestion, while in children low to moderate doses of different neuroleptics caused severe poisoning in 13 cases, with coma, convulsions and most often with acute dystonic reactions. In 30 cases of neuroleptic ingestion more than one drug was involved. The usual combinations were with other neuroleptic or psychoactive drugs such as benzodiazepines, biperiden, carbamazepin and antidepressants. Therapeutic measures were gastric emptying in 32% of cases, biperiden when dystonia was present but only after consultation with the Centre and with 12-14 hours delay, and supportive treatment in all symptomatic patients.