Correlates of new onset peripheral nerve injury in comatose psychotropic drug overdose patients

AIMS: To investigate the relationship between the duration of comatose state, severity of rhabdomyolysis and frequency of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) in patients following psychotropic drug overdose. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed for 41 patients admitted for disturbance of consciousness induced by an overdose of psychotropic drugs with rhabdomyolysis between October 2004 and February 2010. Subjects were divided into PNI group (n=9) and non-PNI control group (n=32). RESULTS: Mean interval between drug ingestion and arrival, frequency of pressure ulcers, CK level at the time of patient's arrival and maximum CK level during hospitalization, duration of hospitalization and morbidity rate were all significantly higher in the PNI group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: In patients with a psychotropic drug overdose leading to a comatose state, the longer the comatose state, the more likely that pressure ulcers and PNI will occur.