A retrospective study on pregabalin toxic cases referred to poison control Center

Shenouda, Mena; Radwan, Rania; Moussa, Mona; Hilal, Maha

doi:10.21608/mjfmct.2021.89427.1038

A retrospective study on pregabalin toxic cases referred to poison control Center

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Sohag University, Sohag

² Forensic Medicine & Clinical Toxicology Faculty of Medicine -Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.

³ Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

⁴ Department of Forensic Medicine & Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt

10.21608/mjfmct.2021.89427.1038

Abstract

Pregabalin is a psycho-active medicinal drug that exhibits analgesic, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. In the United States, pregabalin is approved for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, post herpetic neuralgia, epilepsy (partial onset seizures) and fibromyalgia. The aim of study was studying the relation between pregabalin toxicity and sociodemographic data (Age - sex- occupation), outcome, risk factors of pregabalin toxicity and relation between pregabalin abuse and abuse of other drugs. Our retrospective descriptive study was conducted on 70 patients referred to Ain-Shams university hospital due to acute toxicity with pregabalin and admitted to intermediate or intensive care unit (ICU). There was very high statistically significant relationship between mode of intoxication regarding to sex, occupation, and co-ingestion. There was no statistically significant relationship between dose group regarding to duration of stay, coma degree, CNS manifestations and Arterial blood gas ABG. There was statistically significant relationship between co-ingestion and non-co-ingestion regarding to admission, duration of stay, coma grade, CNS manifestation and ABG. The present study revealed that 23 cases were positive tramadol , 5 cases were positive cannabis , 2 cases were positive BZDs and 2 cases were positive opioid. All 70 cases were complete recovery, no complications and no cases died. Pregabalin is nearly safe when used in therapeutic dose and its toxicity appear when it was taken with another drugs of abuse.

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