Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38798988›Full record

ArticleToxicology reports2024

Pharmacokinetic analysis of a phenobarbital overdose treated with urinary alkalinization alone.

Justin Seltzer, Jeremy Hardin, Henrik Galust, Nathan Friedman, Bryan Corbett, Richard F Clark

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Toxicology reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Justin SeltzerDivision of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, UC San Diego Health, CA, USA.
Jeremy HardinDivision of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, UC San Diego Health, CA, USA.
Henrik GalustDivision of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, UC San Diego Health, CA, USA.
Nathan FriedmanEisenhower Health, Rancho Mirage, CA, USA.
Bryan CorbettDivision of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, UC San Diego Health, CA, USA.
Richard F ClarkDivision of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, UC San Diego Health, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Phenobarbital is a long-acting barbiturate used to treat alcohol withdrawal and epilepsy. Acute overdoses present with varying levels of central nervous system depression and large overdoses can be life threatening. Phenobarbital is an attractive candidate for enhanced elimination using urinary alkalinization given it is a weak acid with a long half-life and extensive urinary elimination. Limited human data exist regarding use of urine alkalinization for the treatment of phenobarbital overdose. We present a fourteen-year-old female who was treated with urinary alkalinization alone following an intentional ingestion of 3800 mg (84.4 mg/kg) of phenobarbital tablets. Urine drugs of abuse screening was preliminary positive for barbiturates and confirmed to be phenobarbital only. The initial serum phenobarbital concentration, drawn nine hours post-ingestion, was 97.4 mcg/ml (normal range 15-40 mcg/ml). Urinary alkalinization with sodium bicarbonate was started approximately 12 h post-ingestion and stopped at 72 h post-ingestion; clinical toxicity resolved by hospital day 5. The infusion was titrated to a urinary pH of greater than 7.5. Serial serum and urine phenobarbital measurements were obtained to determine elimination half-life and urinary excretion. The elimination half-life while undergoing urinary alkalinization was 81.3 h. Prior to initiation of urinary alkalinization, the urine phenobarbital concentration was 37 mcg/ml. Approximately 8.75 h after initiation, it was greater than 200 mcg/ml at a urine pH of 8.5. Urinary alkalinization appeared to augment urinary phenobarbital excretion, though with no discernible effect on elimination half-life and unclear clinical benefit. Further research is needed to better characterize the clinical effects of urinary alkalinization for phenobarbital overdose.

Indexed as

OverdosePediatricPhenobarbitalUrinary alkalinization

Identifiers

PMID38798988
PMCPMC11127027

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.