What is Overdose?
{{more sources|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox Disease | Name = Drug overdose | Image = CharcoalPO.jpg | Caption = [[Activated carbon]] is a commonly used agent for [[decontamination]] of the [[gastrointestinal tract]] in overdoses. | DiseasesDB = 3971 | ICD10 = {{ICD10|T|36}}-{{ICD10|T|50}} | ICD9 = {{ICD9|960}}-{{ICD9|979}} | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = | eMedicineTopic = | MeshID = D015537 }} An '''overdose''' is when someone takes too much of a certain [[drug]]. This may be done [[:wikt:voluntarily|voluntarily]] (as an [[wikt:attempt|attempt]] of [[suicide]]) or [[:wikt:involuntarily|involuntarily]] ([[accident]]ally). The drug may be a drug taken to treat some medical condition, or it may be a drug taken for [[recreation]]. Overdoses are considered to be [[poison]]ing, usually. They may lead to [[death]], depending on the drug used. ==What to do with people who had an overdose== If someone is thought to have had an overdose it is important to get them to a doctor, or hospital. It can be very hard to see what kind of drug was taken. Therefore, it can be hard for the doctor to find an [[antidote]] to give. For this reason, a packet (even if it is empty) of the drug should be taken. * Act as described in [[medical emergency]], call an ambulance. * In addition, the person who has taken the overdose needs to be kept from the effects of the drug. In the case of pills that act like [[sleeping pill]]s, he or she must be kept from falling asleep or unconscious. In the case of pills that act like stimulants, he or she must be calmed down, moved to a calm environment. ==References== {{reflist}} {{med-stub}} {{drug use}} [[Category:Drugs]]