BACKGROUND Non-fatal overdose is a major determinant of morbidity among injection drug users (IDU). We sought to evaluate factors associated with non-fatal overdose among IDU in Vancouver. METHODS We examined non-fatal overdose among participants in the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study. Correlates of non-fatal overdose occurring between 1996 and 2004 were identified using generalized esti...

BACKGROUND Local anesthetics that produce analgesia of long duration with minimal impairment of autonomic functions are highly desirable for pain management in the clinic. Prenylamine is a known calcium channel blocker, but its local anesthetic blocking effects on voltage-gated sodium channels have not been studied thus far. METHODS The authors characterized the tonic and use-dependent prenyl...

Seventy-three patients who had taken a deliberate overdose were seen over a six-week period. Self poisoning was found to be most common in females aged 20 to 29 years and in the unemployed (60%). Most patients had also taken alcohol (63%). The benzodiazepines were the most common drug taken (56%) and most drugs taken were prescribed by the patient's General Practitioner (G.P.) (81%). One-third ...

Therefore, when a healthy appearing infant or child develops cardiac arrest soon after administration of succinylcholine not felt to be due to inadequate ventilation, oxygenation, or anesthetic overdose, immediate treatment for hyperkalemia should be instituted. This should include administration of intravenous calcium, bicarbonate, and glucose with insulin, with hyperventilation. Due to the ab...