A 12-year-old boy has been treated with methyphenidate for the last
three year. His younger sister finds the bottle of pills and consumes
enough to cause significant toxicity. Which of the following findings
would you expect?
A. Hypertension, tachycardia, seizures
B. Hypotension, bronchospasm
C. Drowsiness, obtunded reflexes, diarrhea
D. Miosis, bradycardia.profuse salivation. Sweating
A. Hypertension, tachycardia, seizures
B. Hypotension, bronchospasm
C. Drowsiness, obtunded reflexes, diarrhea
D. Miosis, bradycardia.profuse salivation. Sweating
Ans. A.
Methyphenidate,
which is widely is widely used to manage ADD-ADHD, has amphetamine-like
sympathetic and CNS-stimulating effects.Peripheral sympathetic (adrenergic)
effects arise from the drugs ability to release neuronal norepinephrine.
Related findings would include increased vasoconstriction and therefore
increase blood pressure, and tachycardia. At toxic doses, the CNS effect of the
drug probably would lead to seizures.
