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AUTHOR QUERY FORM Journal title: ICUD Article Number: 481383 Dear Author/Editor, Greetings, and thank you for publishing with Sage. Your article has been copyedited, and we have a few queries for you. Please respond to these queries when you submit your changes to the Production Editor. Thank you for your time and effort. Please assist us by clarifying the following queries: NO 1 QUERY Please check that all authors are listed in the proper order; clarify which part of each author’s name is his or her surname; and verify that all author names are correctly spelled/ punctuated and are presented in a manner consistent with any prior publications. ICU DIRECTOR vol. X ■ no. X Prolonged Refractory Hypotension Secondary to Amlodipine Overdose A Therapeutic Challenge Shrinivas Kambali, MD, Raed Alalawi, MD, FACP, and Kenneth Nugent,[AQ: 1] MD, FACP Abstract: Calcium channel blocker overdose is one of the leading causes of overdose death among cardiovascular medications. We present a patient with the highest reported dose of amlodipine ingestion in combination pill. She was asymptomatic initially and soon became hypotensive and obtunded. She was intubated for airway protection, gastric lavage was done, and activated charcoal was given. She was resuscitated with 4L 0.9% normal saline, calcium chloride, glucagon, insulin, and glucose infusions. Her hypotension worsened necessitating use of norepinephrine 200 µg/min, phenylephrine 200 µg/min, dopamine 50 µg/kg/min, and vasopressin 0.06 U/min concurrently. She continued to improve and was weaned off vasopressors and mechanical ventilation. Few cases of extremely highdose ingestion have been reported. Patients may be normotensive but rapidly progress to shock depending on ingested dose. High doses are associated with shock, bradycardia, pulmonary edema, renal failure, and heart failure. The primary goal is to maintain adequate circulation. Therapy includes intravenous fluids, insulin, glucagon, vasopressors, calcium infusion, and atropine. Based on our patient and a review of literature, we conclude that patients with near-fatal calcium channel blocker ingestion usually have good outcomes with appropriate use of highdose vasopressors, glucagon, and insulin. 11.5% of the cardiovascular drug overdoses, they account for 34% of deaths in 2011. These drugs are widely used and may cause more complicated overdoses because they have long half-life and come in sustained release preparations. CCBs can be divided into 2 major categories: the dihydropyridines, which preferentially block the L-type calcium channels in the vasculature, and the nondihydropyridines, which selectively block L-type calcium channels in the myocardium. The calcium influx through the channels causes myocardial and vascular smooth muscle contractility and also affects conducting and pacemaker cells.1,3,4 We present a unique case of acute intentional overdose of the combination pill Tribenzor (olmesartan 40 mg + amlodipine 10 mg + hydrochlorothiazide [HCTZ] 12.5 mg) who had prolonged hypotension and acute respiratory failure. “ calcium channel blocker (CCB) overdose is one of the leading causes of overdose death by cardiovascular medications.” Keywords: calcium channel blocker overdose, hypotension management C alcium channel blocker (CCB) overdose is one of the leading causes of overdose death by cardiovascular medications. There were 11 764 cases of documented overdose cases by CCBs in the United States in a 2011 report by poison control centers.1,2 Although they constituted only Case A 25-year-old woman presented to the emergency room by Emergency Medical Services 2 hours after ingestion. Her parents called Emergency Medical Services after intentional overdose with 90 pills of Tribenzor. She had ingested 900 mg of amlodipine, 3600 mg of olmesartan, and 1125 mg of HCTZ. The source of medications was from a family relative who was taking those medications for hypertension. She did not have any significant past medical or surgical history. On evaluation DOI: 10.1177/1944451613481383. From Pulmonary and Critical Care Department, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock, Texas. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article. Address correspondence to: Shrinivas Kambali, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Department, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79430; e-mail: [email protected]. For reprints and permissions queries, please visit SAGE’s Web site at http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermission.nav. Copyright © 2013 The Author(s) 1 ICU DIRECTOR Mon XXXX Figure 1. Blood pressure changes. Figure 2. Calcium level. in emergency room, she was awake and had a blood pressure (BP) of 100/50 mm Hg, a heart rate (HR) of 113 beats per minute, a respiration rate of 18 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation of 96% on 4 L of oxygen. Her initial labs revealed a normal complete blood count, anion gap metabolic acidosis, a blood sugar level of 160 mg/dL, and a calcium level of 10 mg/dL. While she was being evaluated in the emergency room, she became hypotensive and less responsive. She was intubated 2 for airway protection and started on assist-control mechanical ventilation. Her repeat blood sugar was elevated at 600 mg/dL. Gastric lavage was done and 100 g of activated charcoal–sorbitol were given through an orogastric tube. She received 4 L of normal saline bolus and was started on norepinephrine infusion drip and on dopamine infusion for hypotension (Figure 1). Despite being on norepinephrine at 180 µg/min and dopamine at 50 µg/kg/min, her blood pressure was still low with a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 45 mm Hg. She was then started on vol. X ■ no. X ICU DIRECTOR Figure 3. Insulin infusion. Figure 4. Blood sugar monitoring. 3 ICU DIRECTOR vasopressin 0.06 U/min, phenylephrine 200 µg/min, and glucagon 6.6 mg intravenously (IV). Her cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), stroke volume variation (SVV), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) were closely monitored. She was started on calcium chloride infusion and serum calcium was checked hourly (Figure 2). She was also started on insulin infusion drip with 8 U/h, and this was increased to 30 to 40 U/h (Figure 3). Dextrose infusion was started to maintain euglycemia (Figure 4). She required high positive end-expiratory and later she was started on high-frequency oscillator ventilation (HFOV). Despite being on HFOV her oxygen saturations were around 78%. She had no urine output with a central venous pressure of 19 cm of water and was stared on diuretics, initially bumetidine and later lasix. She started having good urine output, her oxygenation improved, and she required less vasopressors. She became more responsive and was slowly weaned off the vasopressors and extubated on day 6. She recovered completely. Discussion Amlodipine is a Food and Drug Administration–approved (1992) dihydopyridine CCB with potent vasodilator but little negative chronotropic effect. It is highly protein bound, has a large volume of distribution, and is metabolized in the liver. Amlodipine has a peak effect at 6 to 12 hours and has a terminal half-life of 30 to 50 hours. As the dose is increased, the rate of CCB clearance decreases, prolonging the half-life. Amlodipine is commonly used in a combination medication along with angiotensin inhibitors and hydrochlorothiazide. The combination of amlodipine, olmesartan, and hydrochlorothiazide was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010.5 Olmesartan is a angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), which displaces the angiotensin II from the AT1 receptor and lowers the blood pressure by antagonizing AT1 induced vasoconstriction, aldosterone release, catecholamine release, arginine vasopressin release, water intake, and hypertrophic response.5 HCTZ inhibits the sodium reabsorption in the distal tubules causing increased excretion of sodium and water along with potassium and hydrogen ions.5 The presence of these other medications may make overdose management more complex. In a report of 2011 poison control data there were 11 766 cases of amlodipine overdose, of which 6620 involved combination medications and 5140 involved amlodipine only. There were 6535 cases of ARB overdose, of which 3366 were in combination medications and 3169 as single medication. There were 44 fatal cases reported involving amlodipine, and it was the primary cause of death in 26 cases. Of these 26 cases, 17 had taken combination medication and 9 had taken amlodipine only. It was the second commonest cardiovascular medication causing more fatal cases after verapamil (32 cases).2 Although there were 6535 cases of ARB overdose, there were no cases in which it was the primary cause of death. There was only one case in which an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (lisinopril) was the primary cause of death. Other common cardiovascular medications that caused fatality were cardiac glycosides (16), diltiazem extended 4 Mon XXXX release (12), metoprolol (11), atenolol (9), diltiazem (8), and propranolol (7).2 Smith et al6 reported a case of profound toxicity due to coingestion of high doses of amlodipine with valsartan refractory to crystalloids and colloids, calcium gluconate, epinephrine, norepinephrine, phenyl epinephrine, and vasopressin infusion. They reported improvement with high-dose euglycemia therapy with glucagon and naloxone.6 Plumb et al7 reported a case of severe hypotension secondary to amlodipine and losartan overdose that was refractory to conventional treatment with vasopressors and high-dose euglycemia but responded to a metarminol infusion. Diagnosis Hypotension and bradycardia with sinus arrest or atrioventricular block in the absence of QRS interval prolongation suggest CCB intoxication. Symptoms of toxicity depend on the type and dose of the CCB and the presence of other medications. Hypotension can develop within 60 minutes of ingestion with regular release preparations and is delayed with sustainedrelease preparations. Mild toxicity presents with hypotension, weakness, and lightheadedness. Ingestion of 5 to 10 times the normal dose can cause severe hypotension along with bradycardia, pulmonary edema, renal failure, and other signs of heart failure. The electrocardiogram (ECG) may show bradycardia, arrhythmia, and complete heart block.8,9 As in our case, patients may be normotensive initially but rapidly progress to shock depending on ingested dose. Hyperglycemia is common in CCB overdose and it helps in distinguishing between CCB overdose and beta-blocker overdose. Our patient was euglycemic (160 mg/dL) on initial presentation, but subsequent labs showed blood sugar levels of 600 mg/dL. This could be attributed to early arrival to the emergency room. Management Many patients with CCB overdose are asymptomatic at the time of presentation. These patients have to be monitored closely with ECGs for at least 6 hours for the immediate release medications and much longer for sustained release medications like amlodipine or verapamil.8,9 All symptomatic patients should be admitted for at least 24 hours.10 Emergency and supportive therapy to maintain the airway by intubation and assisted ventilation may be necessary in severe cases. Initial resuscitation in symptomatic patients includes IV fluids and atropine for bradycardia. The role of gastric decontamination depends on the time of ingestion if known. It can be useful if given within 60 minutes of ingestion. Only a small fraction of the medication is removed by decontamination. Syrup of ipecac is no longer indicated for any decontamination unless the arrival of the patient is expected to be delayed by more than 60 minutes and the patient is awake.11 Gastric lavage is also indicated in asymptomatic patients. Vagal stimulation from lavage may exacerbate CCB-induced hypotension and bradycardia.12 Activated charcoal should be administered a single dose of 1 g/kg for children up ICU DIRECTOR vol. X ■ no. X to the adult dose of 60 to 100 g.11 Repeated doses of activated charcoal may be needed to achieve the desired 10:1 of charcoal to poison.11 Repeated dosing has been shown to reduce blood concentration by interrupting enterohepatic or enteroenteric recirculation of the drug. It may cause serious fluid and electrolyte abnormalities and should not be used in patients with ileus or obstruction.11 Whole bowel irrigation has become an accepted approach, especially for patients with sustained release or large dose of enteric-coated tablets, but this has limited supporting quality clinical data. In case reports with CCB overdose in which whole bowel irrigation was not used, there was an increase in the drug level and also higher mortality because of drug reabsorption. In patients with severe bradycardia or cardiac arrest, emergency cardiopulmonary bypass/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been shown to be useful.13-15 Holzer et al13 reported a case of successful resuscitation from pulseless electrical activity secondary to verapamil-intoxicated patient with ECMO and theophylline therapy. Hendren et al16 reported a similar case of CCB overdose where ECMO was used to allow time for liver detoxification. Serum levels of the drug fell during and after the procedure; however, continued absorption of the drug after bypass resulted in persistent elevation of the serum levels and lead to unresponsive circulatory failure.16 ECMO leads to reliable tissue perfusion and improved outcome after cardiac arrest resuscitating patients with refractory cardiac arrest or other forms of circulatory collapse except trauma.17,18 Sufficient liver perfusion is especially critical for the elimination of verapamil because no specific detoxification treatment exists.13 Intravenous Calcium Calcium channel blocker overdose causes hypocalcemia and intravenous calcium is often needed in patients with moderate to severe CCB toxicity. Calcium infusion is one of the initial treatments but produces variable results.19 Calcium chloride is preferred over calcium gluconate because of higher percentage of calcium availability (13.6 mEq vs 4.5 mEq in 10 mL of 10% solution).20 Hariman et al21 reported that in a canine model administration of calcium chloride reversed the verapamil induced reduction of BP. Similar animal studies have demonstrated that high-dose calcium reverses the negative effects of CCB toxicity on BP and CO but had no effect on heart rate or SVR.22-25 Isbister20 reported a case successful treatment of refractory hypotension, bradycardia, and asystole secondary to diltiazem and isosorbide nitrate with high dose (13.5 g) of IV calcium, adrenaline, and temporary pacing. Lam et al26 reported improved hemodynamic status by maintaining sustained increases serum ionic calcium level (approximately 2 mmol/L) with prolonged high-dose IV calcium infusion. Stimulation of the alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors is believed to increase intracellular levels of calcium and to help reduce CCB toxicity.27 A panel review recommended calcium infusions in patients with CCB-induced hypotension that is refractory to conventional vasopressor therapy.27 There have been many case reports and case series that showed benefit of high-dose calcium infusion.20,26,27 Close monitoring of the serum or ionized calcium concentration (measurements every 2 hours) and serial ECGs are necessary to avoid clinically significant hypercalcemia. Vasopressors After adequate IV fluid administration, vasopressors are indicated for direct positive inotropy, positive chronotrophy, and vasoconstrictor effects, and norepinephrine is commonly used as the initial pressor. Patients with CCB toxicity may require very high doses of vasopressors, which can cause arrhythmias. Our patient had sinus tachycardia with frequent premature ventricular contractions while on the vasopressors. Monitoring the CO, SVR, SV, and SVV using minimally invasive hemodynamic monitoring devices is very helpful in guiding the fluid and vasopressor management. They may require high positive end-expiratory pressure because of the pulmonary edema during fluid resuscitation. Our patient had to be started on HFOV to maintain her oxygenation. Some studies have shown that phosphodiesterase inhibitors may also be useful in CCB overdose because increasing intracellular cAMP may recruit nonantagonized channels.28-30 Phosphodiesterase inhibitors should be used with other vasopressors and never used alone, as these drugs can increase the risk of hypotension.30 Glucagon Glucagon raises intracellular levels of cAMP. A systematic review of 6 studies with CCB overdose reported that glucagon appeared to increase the HR and CO and transiently reverse second- and third-degree heart blocks.31 It had no effect on MAP and had no effect on survival rate. Mahr et al32 reported a case of successful treatment of diltiazem overdose using intravenous glucagon. Walter et al33 reported a similar case of use of intravenous glucagon in nifedipine overdose.33 Similar results were seen in many human cases.34 There is no standard regimen for treatment with glucagon. An initial IV bolus of 5 mg is a reasonable start and can be repeated twice at 10-minute intervals. A glucagon infusion can be started at the total dose at which a response is noted. Insulin and Glucose A review by Engebretsen et al35 showed that in animal models, high-dose dose insulin was superior to calcium salts, glucagon, epinephrine, and vasopressin and improved survival. Kline et al36 used high-dose insulin (HDI) in verapamil poisoning in dogs. They found that dogs treated with HDI had significantly improved maximum elastance at end systole, left ventricular end diastolic pressure, and coronary blood flow.36 They did not find any significant improvement in MAP or HR. This review reported similar results in other animal models.37-39 There are no published controlled clinical trials in humans, but review of case reports and case series supports use of HDI as initial therapy.35 Boyer and Shannon40 reported 2 cases of CCB 5 ICU DIRECTOR Mon XXXX overdose in which conventional treatment with calcium infusion and vasopressors did improve the hemodynamic status of both. Both were treated with insulin at 0.5 U/kg/h, which rapidly reversed cardiovascular collapse. One patient required dextrose infusion to maintain euglycemia.40 Yuan et al41 reported a case series of 5 CCB overdose patients; hemodynamic improvement occurred after insulin-euglycemia treatment, but other therapies were used concomitantly. In a prospective observational study reported by Greene HDI was shown to be safe and effective in treatment of CCB toxicity along with other conventional therapies.42 Engebretsen et al35 reported that the bolus dose ranged from 0.1 to 10 U/kg and the continuous insulin infusion ranged from 0.015 to 22 U/kg/h with most patients receiving between 0.5 and 2 U/kg/h. They found one report of treatment failure in amlodipine overdose despite HDI and vasopressor therapy. The mechanism of action of insulin is not clear. Proposed mechanisms include increased inotropy, increased intracellular transport, and vascular dilatation.35 Studies have shown that insulin in high concentrations affects several intracellular mechanisms that contribute to the inotropic effects, many of which involve calcium handling and the PI3K pathway.35,43,44 Hypoglycemia and hypokalemia must be corrected prior to initiating HDI therapy. HDI therapy with a bolus of 1 U/kg of regular, short-acting insulin given IV followed by continuous infusion at 0.5 to 1 U/kg/h IV is recommended. Insulin should be titrated upward by 2 U/kg/h until hypotension is corrected or a maximum dose of 10 U/kg/h is reached.35,40,45-49 Dextrose may be needed to maintain euglycemia in patients who have hypoglycemia with insulin infusion. Insulin and dextrose infusion can cause hypokalemia, and serum potassium concentration should be measured every 30 minutes until it is stable and then every 1 to 2 hours. A hemodynamic response to HDI therapy is often delayed for 30 to 60 minutes; therefore, simultaneous implementation of other therapies to support the patient’s pulse and blood pressure are generally required. There are currently no studies illustrating the best way to decrease HDI therapy after cardiac function has improved. After hemodynamic parameters have stabilized, the insulin infusion may be gradually tapered and discontinued. nifedipine overdose that failed to show any hemodynamic or survival benefit of LET over placebo. Albumin dialyses with molecular adsorbents recirculating system therapy and levosimendan (calcium sensitizer) have been used in patients with CCB toxicity with favorable outcomes.52 Levosimendan acts as a calcium sensitizer and increases the association rate of myosin actin cross-bridges. It slows down their dissociation rate by binding to troponin C. It also exhibits systemic and coronary vasodilatation via ATPsensitive potassium channels in vascular smooth muscle cells and in mitochondria. Varpula et al53 reported 2 cases of cardiovascular collapse secondary to CCB overdose treated with levosimendan along with other conventional treatment. Other Treatment Modalities 7. Plumb JOM, Stewart C, Eddleston M, de Beer T. Case report: prolonged refractory hypotension following combined amlodipine and losartan ingestion responsive to metaraminol. Case Rep Med. 2011;2011:283672. Wilson et al reported a case of refractory hypotension secondary to sustained release diltiazem poisoning that responded to lipid emulsion therapy (LET) along with other conventional therapy. Two mechanisms possibly account for the effectiveness of LET. The first is that the emulsion acts as a “lipid sink,” surrounding a lipophilic drug molecule and rendering it ineffective. The second is that the fatty acids from the LET provide the myocardium with a ready energy source, thereby improving cardiac function. A recent systematic review of the LET for acute poisoning found the overall quality of the studies to be weak.51 They were beneficial in patients with overdose with verapamil and beta blockers.51 There was one animal trial with 50 6 Conclusion Calcium channel blockers are being increasingly used for treatment of hypertension and are very often combined with other antihypertensive medication in a combination pill. Overdose with these drug combination medications can result in refractory hypotension. Based on our patient and the review of literature, we conclude that patients with near fatal CCB ingestion usually have a good outcome with appropriate use of high-dose vasopressors, glucagon, and insulin. References 1. Dewitt CR, Waksman JC. Pharmacology, pathophysiology and management of calcium channel blocker and beta-blocker toxicity. Toxicol Rev. 2004;23:223-238. 2. Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Rumack BH, Dart RC. 2011 Annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 29th Annual report. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2012;50:911-1164. 3. Eisenberg MJ, Brox A, Bestawros AN. Calcium channel blockers: an update. Am J Med. 2004;116:35-43. 4. Katz A. Cardiac ion channels. N Engl J Med. 1993;328:1244-1251. 5. Tribenzor (olmesartan medoxomil + amlodipine + hydrochlorothiazide). http://www.medilexicon.com/drugs/tribenzor.php. Accessed February 21, 2003. 6. Smith SW, Ferguson KL, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS, Greller HA. Prolonged severe hypotension following combined amlodipine and valsartan ingestion. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2008;46:470-474. 8. Proano L, Chiang WK, Wang RY. Calcium channel blocker overdose. Am J Emerg Med. 1995;13:444-450. 9. Ramoska EA, Spiller HA, Myers A. Calcium channel blocker toxicity. Ann Emerg Med. 1990;19:649-653. 10. Tomaszewski CA, Benowitz NL. Calcium channel antagonists. 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The inotropic and hemodynamic effects of intravenous milrinone when reflex adrenergic stimulation is suppressed by beta-adrenergic blockade. Clin Ther. 1994;16:783-792. 50. Wilson BJ, Cruikshank JS, Wiebe KL, Dias VC, Yarema MC. Intravenous lipid emulsion therapy for sustained release diltiazem poisoning: a case report. J Popul Ther Clin Pharmcol. 2012;19:e218-e222. 30. Wolf LR, Spadafora MP, Otten EJ. Use of amrinone and glucagon in a case of calcium channel blocker overdose. Ann Emerg Med. 1993;22:1225-1228. 51. Jamaty C, Bailey B, Larocque A, Notebaert E, Sanogo K, Chauny JM. Lipid emulsions in the treatment of acute poisoning: a systematic review of human and animal studies. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2010;48:1-27. 31. Bailey B. Glucagon in beta-blocker and calcium channel blocker overdoses: a systematic review. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2003;41:595-602. 32. Mahr NC, Valdes A, Lamas G. Use of glucagon for acute intravenous diltiazem toxicity. Am J Cardiol. 1997;79:1570-1571. 52. 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