Heroin Overdose

Definition

This article describes poisoning from an overdose of heroin.

Poisonous Ingredient

• Heroin

Where Found

Heroin is made by processing opium poppies which are found all over the world.

Symptoms

• Body as a whole
  • Muscle spasticity
• Respiratory
  • Breathing slow and labored
  • Breathing shallow
  • Stopped breathing (sometimes fatal within 2-4 hours)
• Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • Extremely small pupils, sometimes as small as the head of a pin ("pinpoint pupils")
  • Dry mouth
  • Tongue discoloration
• Skin
  • Bluish colored fingernails and lips
• Gastrointestinal
  • Spasms of the stomach and/or intestinal tract
  • Constipation
• Heart and blood vessels
  • Weak pulse
  • Low blood pressure
• Nervous system
  • Drowsiness
  • Disorientation
  • Coma
  • Delirium

Home Care

DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. Call emergency services and Poison Control Center.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

• The patient's age, weight, and condition
• The name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)

Poison Control

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Bring a sample with you to the emergency room if available.

What to Expect at the Emergency Room

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

• Administer a laxative
• Give a counteracting drug (narcotic antagonist) -- multiple doses if needed
• Administer intravenous fluids as needed
• Monitor breathing
• Treat the symptoms

Outlook (Prognosis)

If an antidote can be given, recovery from an acute overdose occurs within 24 - 48 hours.

Herpes viral culture of lesion

Viral lesion culture

A viral lesion culture is performed to confirm herpes simplex virus present in a skin lesion. The specimen is collected by scraping the suspected skin lesion or aspirating fluid from the lesion. Results are available within 16 hours to 7 days of receipt of the specimen, depending on the culture method used.

Definition

Herpes viral culture of a lesion is a test to confirm the presence of herpes simplex virus in a skin sore.

How the Test is Performed

A specimen from a skin lesion (often a genital sore) is collected during the acute phase (worst part) of an outbreak and placed in a special substance called medium.

The specimen may be placed in cell cultures, so they can replicate to help identification, or it may be identified by monoclonal antibodies that detect early antigens of herpes simplex virus.

Serotyping of the virus (to determine whether it's type 1 or 2) may also be done. Results are available within 16 hours to 7 days, depending on the culture method used.

How to Prepare for the Test

The specimen must be collected during an acute infection.

How the Test Will Feel

The specimen is collected by scraping the suspected skin lesion or aspirating fluid from the lesion. This can cause a scraping or sticking sensation. Sometimes a specimen from the throat or eyes is obtained, usually by rubbing a sterile swab against the tissues.

Why the Test is Performed

The test is performed to confirm herpes simplex infection. The diagnosis is often made by clinical examination rather than diagnostic testing.

Normal Results

If there is no herpes virus present, none will grow in the culture medium.

What Abnormal Results Mean

Abnormal results may indicate active infection with herpes simplex virus or asymptomatic viral shedding.

Herpes genitalis (genital herpes simplex) is an additional condition under which the test may be performed.

Risks

The risks are slight bleeding or infection at the skin lesion site.

Considerations

Viral culture for herpes is a poor test and is often falsely negative (but extremely rarely falsely positive). That is, even with a negative result, the person could still have herpes.

Newer herpes simplex fluorescent antibody testing may be an alternative. Please consult your doctor.