Drug overdose
Overdose is the ingestion of a drug in quantities risking health or death.
A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Typically the term is applied for cases when a risk to health is a potential result. An overdose may result in a toxic state or death. The word 'overdose' implies that there is a common safe dosage and usage for the drug; therefore, the term is commonly applied only to drugs, not poisons, even though many poisons as well are harmless at a low enough dosage.
- definition
- Ingestion or application of a drug in quantities much greater than recommended
- common_cause
- Intentional or unintentional misuse of medication, illicit drug use
- leading_drugs_involved
- Opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines, alcohol
- antidote_example
- Naloxone for opiates
Lore & Background
Drug overdose is sometimes used as a means to commit suicide, as the result of intentional or unintentional misuse of medication. Intentional misuse leading to overdose can include using prescribed or non-prescribed drugs in excessive quantities in an attempt to produce euphoria. Usage of illicit drugs, in large quantities, or after a period of drug abstinence can also induce overdose. Cocaine and opioid users who inject intravenously can easily overdose accidentally, as the margin between a pleasurable drug sensation and an overdose is small. Unintentional misuse can include errors in dosage caused by failure to read or understand product labels. Accidental overdoses may also be the result of over-prescription, failure to recognize a drug's active ingredient or unwitting ingestion by children. A common unintentional overdose in young children involves multivitamins containing iron.
Reader's Guide
Drug overdose is a significant cause of injury death, particularly among people 25 to 64 years old, where it caused more deaths than motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2013. The vast majority of overdoses involve multiple drugs, often in combination with alcohol. Prevention efforts include distribution of naloxone to opioid users, supervised injection sites, and training for police and fire personnel. Management focuses on stabilizing airway, breathing, and circulation, with specific antidotes such as naloxone for opiates and flumazenil for benzodiazepines. The term 'overdose' is sometimes misused to describe adverse drug reactions or negative drug interactions due to mixing multiple drugs simultaneously.
Did You Know?
- The term 'overdose' is commonly applied only to drugs, not poisons, even though many poisons are harmless at a low enough dosage.
- A common unintentional overdose in young children involves multivitamins containing iron.
- The distribution of naloxone to injection drug users is estimated to have prevented 10,000 opioid overdose deaths in U.S. programs.
- Most overdoses occur when drugs are ingested in combination with alcohol.
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