Symptoms of acute barbiturate intoxication include sluggishness, incoordination, difficulty in thinking, slowness of speech, faulty judgment, drowsiness or coma, shallow breathing, and ataxic gait (staggering).
Signs and tests:
Physical exam and clinical history are usually sufficient to make the diagnosis. Drug screens, both urine and serum, can detect barbiturates for up to 5 days after ingestion. Additional blood tests may detect the level of respiratory depression.
Review Date: 5/4/2004
Reviewed By: Ram Chandran Kalyanam, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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