Health Encyclopedia

Dilantin overdose

Definition

This article discusses poisoning from an overdose of Dilantin, a medicine used to prevent seizures.

Poisonous Ingredient

Phenytoin

Where Found

Dilantin
Phenytoin

Symptoms

The symptoms vary, but may include:

Coma
Confusion
Fever
Involuntary and jerky repeated movement of the eyeballs
Lethargy
Nausea
Swollen gums
Sleepiness
Slow or slurred speech
Staggering gait or walk
Tremor
Unsteadiness
Vomiting

Home Treatment

Seek immediate medical help. DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by Poison Control or a health care professional.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

Patient's age, weight, and condition
Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
Time it was swallowed
Amount swallowed
If the medicine was prescribed by a doctor

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the U.S. use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

See National Poison Control center.

What to expect at the emergency room

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The patient may receive:

Medicines to treat symptoms
Activated charcoal
A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)
Oxygen
Breathing tube

Expectations (prognosis)

The outlook depends on the severity of the overdose:

Mild overdose: Supportive therapy alone may be all that is needed. Recovery is likely.
Moderate overdose: With proper treatment, the patient usually makes a complete recovery within 24 to 48 hours.
Severe overdose: If the patient is unconscious or vital signs are abnormal, more aggressive treatments may be necessary. It may take 3 to 5 days before the patient wakes up (becomes conscious). However, unless there are complications, long-term effects and deaths are uncommon.

Review Date:10/31/2006
Reviewed By:Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

ADAM Quality A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and this website do not claim the information on, or referred to by, this site is error free. This site may include links to websites of other government agencies or private groups. Our Agency and this website do not control such sites and are not responsible for their content. Reference to or links to any other group, product, service, or information does not mean our Agency or this website approves of that group, product, service, or information.

Additionally, while health information provided through this website may be a valuable resource for the public, it is not designed to offer medical advice. Talk with your doctor about medical care questions you may have.