A Massive Venlafaxine Intoxication: Evolution of Cardiac Toxicity with Venlafaxine and O-Desmethylvenlafaxine Elimination Kinetics: A Grand Round.

BACKGROUND: This study presents the case of a 19-year-old woman who attempted suicide by ingesting 11.25 g of venlafaxine (V). She was admitted to the hospital with severe biventricular dysfunction, progressing to cardiac arrest requiring extracorporeal circulatory life support for 11 days. The pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine during impaired cardiac output and the effect of its active metabolite, the O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV), are currently not very well understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serum concentrations of V and ODV were monitored twice daily for 3 weeks. The maximum concentrations of venlafaxine and ODV were at 14 hours after ingestion, with 29,180 mcg/L for V and 5399 mcg/L for ODV. Half-lives increased, requiring 2 weeks to eliminate the drug. The left ventricular ejection fraction significantly improved when V + ODV was below 1000 mcg/L and remained altered until the ODV concentrations were lower than 400 mcg/L. CONCLUSIONS: This report, with complete elimination kinetic of V and ODV in a monodrug intoxication, provides information about the modification of pharmacokinetics in the case of an overdose managed by extracorporeal circulatory life support, the cardiac toxicity of ODV, and the value of the toxic threshold for the active moiety.

[Antimalaria therapy of chronic renal failure]. / Paludothérapie chez l'insuffisant rénal chronique.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of uncoded malaria (malaria) remains very delicate in chronic renal failure which is associated with immunity abnormalities which weaken the uremic subject and create a vicious morbid circle. OBJECTIVE: Describe the malaria treatment profile of the chronic renal failure patient with malaria. METHODOLOGY: This was a retrospective study of patients with chronic renal failure presenting with diagnosed simple malaria admitted to the nephrology departments of the university hospital centers of Treichville and Yopougon from October 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019 and having given their informed consent verbal. RESULTS: We identified 278 chronic renal failure patients, 40 (14.4%) of whom had malaria. The mean age was 42±13 years with a male predominance (sex-ratio: 1.1). The clinical signs were hyperthermia (70%), diffuse pain (67.5%) and headache (37.5%). Chronic renal failure was discovered at stage 5 in 87.5% of cases and 85% started chronic dialysis using a dialysis using a hemodialysis catheter (94%). Malaria was confirmed by a thick drop (66%) and a Quantitative Buffy Coast Malaria Test (44%). There was severe anemia with an average hemoglobin level of 7.1±1.9g/dL and thrombocytopenia (38.4%). Malaria was first treated with artemether (67%) or artesunate (25%) intramuscularly (67.5%) or intravenously (25%). The average duration of treatment with artemether was 3 days and artesunate 4.5 days±1.1. Seventy-eight percent of the patients had an injectable antimalarial without oral relay. The clinical course was favorable in 77%. Diabetes was a factor influencing patient evolution. CONCLUSION: This study reveals a misuse of antimalarials because the national recommendations for the treatment of malaria were not respected. The presence of anemia would make the parenteral routes preferable.