Relationship between abnormal pupillary reactivity and the outcome of a psychotropic drug overdose

ObjectiveThe association between abnormal pupil reactivity (abnormal) and the outcome among patients with psychotropic drug overdose (OD) was retrospectively investigated.MethodsThe study included patients that had experienced an OD between January and December 2007. The subjects were divided into 2 groups, namely, abnormal and normal groups.ResultsThere were 12 subjects in the abnormal and 74 subjects in the normal group. Glasgow Coma Scale in the abnormal was significantly smaller that that in the normal group. An average quantity of ingested tranquilizer per subject in the abnormal was significantly larger that those in the normal group. However, the duration of admission and survival rates between the two groups were not significantly different.ConclusionThe patients that experienced an OD, who demonstrated abnormal pupil reactivity, tended to have ingested larger amounts of drugs while also demonstrating severe unconsciousness. However, the patients with abnormal pupil reactivity had a favorable outcome.