The "Anti" Club
This is the primary reversal agent for opioid-induced respiratory depression.
What is naloxone (Narcan)?
This toxidrome is characterized by the mnemonic "Dry as a bone, Red as a beet, Mad as a hatter."
What is anticholinergic?
This "silent killer" gas binds to hemoglobin 200 times more strongly than oxygen.
What is carbon monoxide?
Often called "Batman" or "The Hulk," these synthetic cannabinoids can cause unpredictable, violent behavior.
What is Spice or K2?
A wide QRS complex in the setting of a suspected overdose should immediately make a medic think of this class of antidepressants.
What are TCAs?
Administered in high doses for Organophosphate poisoning, this drug blocks acetylcholine at the receptor site.
What is Atropine?
Pinpoint pupils, bradycardia, and hypotension are the "triad" for this toxidrome.
What is opioid?
This common OTC pain reliever causes delayed liver failure; the antidote is Mucomyst (n-Acetylcysteine).
What is acetaminophen/Tylenol?
This anesthetic and "club drug" can cause a "dissociative" state and nystagmus.
This term describes a heart rate slower than 60 bpm, a common finding in Beta-Blocker or CCB overdoses.
What is bradycardia?
This is the specific antidote for a Calcium Channel Blocker overdose (also used in the "Lethal Triad" of trauma).
What is calcium chloride (or gluconate)?
This "leaky" toxidrome presents with SLUDGEM.
What is cholinergic?
Ingesting this "wintergreen" smelling substance or too many aspirin can lead to metabolic acidosis and tinnitus.
What is salicylates?
This potent synthetic opioid is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
What is fentanyl?
This specific EKG measurement is prolonged by many psych meds and increases the risk of Torsades de Pointes.
What is the QT interval?
This medication is used to "alkalinize the urine" and protect the heart during a Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) overdose.
What is sodium bicarbonate?
Hypertension, tachycardia, and extreme diaphoresis distinguish this toxidrome.
What is sympathomimetic/stimulant?
These substances, like detergent pods, cause chemical burns to the esophagus and can lead to significant airway swelling.
What are caustics/corrosives?
Unlike opioid withdrawal, withdrawal from this legal substance can be fatal due to seizures and DTs.
What is alcohol?
This EKG finding is the "hallmark" sign of Digitalis (Digoxin) toxicity.
What is the Salvador Dali Sag (ST depression)?
Known as the "Cyanide Kit" component, this drug (Hydroxocobalamin) turns the patient's urine a deep reddish-pink.
What is CyanoKit?
This toxidrome, often caused by SSRIs or MAOIs, presents with a "triad" of cognitive changes, autonomic hyperactivity, and neuromuscular abnormalities like hyperreflexia and "clonus" (shaking/jerking) of the lower extremities.
What is Serotonin Syndrome?
Found in many old-school pesticides and some rodenticides, this toxin smells like bitter almonds and kills by preventing the mitochondria from using oxygen, effectively "suffocating" the cells despite a normal SpO2.
What is cyanide?
This drug, also known as "Molly," causes massive serotonin release and can lead to fatal hyperthermia.
What is MDMA?
A patient who has overdosed on Calcium Channel Blockers will often present with an EKG that mimics a myocardial infarction, specifically showing this ST-segment abnormality that isn't actually caused by a clot.
What is ST segment depression (scooping)?