Overdose is a set of harmful effects caused by overuse of drugs or medicines, which may occur suddenly or slowly, from the constant use of these substances.
It happens when a high dose of drugs or medications is taken, not giving the body time to eliminate the excess drug before it causes dangerous side effects such as loss of consciousness and death. See the symptoms that help identify a possible overdose.
Overdose is a serious medical condition, and the person should be taken to an urgent medical care unit to avoid complications such as loss of organ function, brain malfunction, or death.
What to do in case of overdose
In case of overdose, especially when the victim shows signs of fainting or is losing consciousness, one should:
- Call the victim by name and try to keep her awake;
- In case of loss of consciousness, the victim should be laid aside, as this position facilitates breathing and prevents choking;
- Call the emergency to call an ambulance and receive first aid directions;
- Do not induce vomiting;
- Do not offer drinks or food;
- Keep an eye on the victim until the ambulance arrives, checking to see if she continues to breathe and if her condition does not usually worsen.
In addition, if possible one should take the drug suspected of causing the overdose to the emergency, to guide the medical treatment according to the cause of the problem.
If the person stops breathing, one should immediately start the cardiac massage to keep the blood circulating and increase the chances of the person recovering. See the step-by-step to do the cardiac massage correctly if you need to.
How is the treatment done?
The treatment is done according to the type of drug used, the amount, the effects presented by the overdose victim and the time the drug or drug mixture was taken.
To eliminate the maximum amount of the drug from the body, doctors can do treatments such as gastric and intestinal lavage, use activated charcoal to bind to the drug in the body and prevent its absorption, use an antidote to the drug or administer other drugs to control the symptoms of overdose.
How to avoid an overdose
The best way to prevent overdose is to avoid using drugs, even those that are allowed, such as alcohol, cigarettes, and medications, and take medications only according to medical advice.
However, in case of regular use of drugs, one should be aware because pauses in use can decrease the tolerance of the body to the drug, being easier to arrive at an overdose with small portions of the product.
In addition, one should never try to use unaccompanied drugs, because in case of emergencies, such as overdose, one should call for help urgently.
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