Predictors of mortality in verapamil overdose: usefulness of serum verapamil concentrations.

Verapamil poisoning may result in life-threatening cardiovascular morbidities and fatalities. To date, prognosticators of mortality have been poorly investigated and the use of serum verapamil concentration for prognosis remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the ability of usual clinical and laboratory parameters including serum verapamil concentrations measured on admission to predict outcome (survival versus death) in verapamil poisoning.

Emergency feasibility in medical intensive care unit of extracorporeal life support for refractory cardiac arrest.

Objective: To report the feasibility, complications, and outcomes of emergency extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in refractory cardiac arrests in medical intensive care unit (ICU).

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study in the medical ICU in a university hospital in collaboration with the cardiosurgical team of a neighboring hospital.

Patients: Seventeen patients (poisonings: 12/17) admitted over a 2-year period for cardiac arrest unresponsive to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and advanced cardiac life support, without return of spontaneous circulation.

The role of insulin and glucose (hyperinsulinaemia/euglycaemia) therapy in acute calcium channel antagonist and beta-blocker poisoning.

The inotropic effect of insulin has been long established. High-dose (0.5-1 IU/kg/hour) insulin, in combination with a glucose infusion to maintain euglycaemia (hyperinsulinaemia/euglycaemia therapy), has been proposed as a treatment for calcium channel antagonist (CCA) and beta-adrenoceptor antagonist (beta-blocker) poisonings.