Two doctors warned of wrong practices that might turn the medicine into poison. And the number of risk of infection and symptoms, stressing the need to expedite the request for ambulance and to take specific measures in the event of injury of this kind, to protect the patient from possible complications that may result in death.
They said the risk index was increasing with drugs such as birth control pills, analgesics, sedatives and insomnia.
In addition, the head of the emergency department at Rashid Hospital, Dr. Sarah Kazem, confirmed that the hospital received cases of poisoning caused by the body being exposed to excessive doses of medication or due to incorrect practices in dealing with medications.
She explained that one of the most prominent causes of drug poisoning is taking excessive doses of painkillers, and the occurrence of drug interaction with another, which leads to an increase in the proportion of blood, and the emergence of negative effects.
She pointed out that the symptoms resulting from drug poisoning cases vary from mild to serious, and may require careful treatment and serums in some cases. She said Rashid Hospital has set up a team to monitor and treat drug poisoning cases, consisting of 11 doctors. "The hospital's toxicology department is the only one in the UAE to provide this service," he said.
According to sociologist Dr. Saif Darwish, drug poisoning refers to the pathological condition caused by a person taking large doses of non-prescription drugs, either orally, injections, inhalations or skin contact.
And the most important symptoms of drug poisoning, explained Darwish that it is the difficulty of breathing and feeling of suffocation, and the widening of the eyes, muscle and fainting, fainting, and low blood pressure, which leads to the injury of the body in blue, and cause sweating, hypothermia, trembling, hallucinations, , Tinnitus, and accelerated heartbeat.
Dr. Darwish pointed to the types of drugs that may cause drug poisoning, including medicines and herbal preparations claimed by natural promoters, blood pressure lowering drugs (such as beta-adrenaline inhibitors, calcium blockers, angiotensin-activating inhibitors), blood vessel expansion drugs, Diabetes drugs, analgesics, paracetamol medications, salicylates, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines, muscle relaxants, neuropathic sedatives, hypersensitivity And anti muscle spasms.
Dr. Darwish called for the immediate provision of emergency medication to the patient through rapid contact with the ambulance, putting the injured person on his side in a comfortable place, exposed to the air, and helping him to vomit if he is unconscious, and perform artificial respiration in the absence of breathing in his body, The temperature of the injured, or decreased.
The Health Authority revealed in previous statements to «Emirates Today» that the treatment of poisoning at Rashid Hospital received cases of poisoning, most notably drug poisoning by taking overdoses, either by mistake or with the intention of some patients, as an attempt to commit suicide, About 30 cases of this type of poisoning are diagnosed each month, confirming that they provide therapeutic services. If the patient is suspected of intentionally poisoning himself, he is offered psychiatric assistance. Suicide cases are concentrated among the adolescents and the mentally ill.
6 Causes of drug poisoning
Community Medicine Specialist Dr. Saif Darwish identified six causes
Head of drug poisoning, is:
- Do not keep the medicine in a safe and safe place.
- Do not keep the medicine out of the reach of children.
- Lack of supervision and family attention.
- Misuse of the drug.
- Suicide in large quantities of drugs.
- Buy medicine from the pharmacy without the doctor's advice.