Skeletal muscle relaxant ingestion.

Author(s): Lebby TI, Dugger K, Lipscomb JW, Leikin JB

Affiliation(s): College of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital.

Publication date & source: 1990-04, Vet Hum Toxicol., 32(2):133-5.

Publication type:

We retrospectively analyzed 56 consecutive cases involving acute skeletal muscle relaxant exposure that were reported to the Poison Control Center over a 1-year period. The age range was 9 mo to 56 years (mean 18.9 +/- 13.1) with the site of exposure being the primary residence in 54 cases (96.4%). The reasons for inquiry to the Poison Center were reported to be intentional suicide in 26 cases (46.4%), accidental in 21 cases (37.5%), with intentional misuses in 5 cases (8.9%). No deaths were reported. Eighteen cases (32.1%) were reported with co-ingestants (average number of substances taken was 2.7 +/- 0.8). Of these cases 3 patients (16.7%) had major effects with life-threatening symptoms with 6 (33.3%) patients having no symptoms. Of the remaining 38 cases, 17 (44.7%) wer cyclobenzaprine, 6 (15.8%) were methocarbamol, 5 (13.2%) were carisoprodol, 5 (13.2%) were chlorzoxazone, 3 (7.89%) were Baclofen and the remainder were either life-threatening symptoms (2.6%), while 29 (74.3%) had no or minor effects with symptoms that subsided. We conclude that morbidity and mortality are low in pure skeletal muscle relaxant ingestion, however it may be increased in multiple ingestions.