Acute and Chronic Intoxication with Carbromal Preparations

Abstract

An important number of acute intoxications can be ascribed to the abuse of, until now, non-prescription carbromal preparations. Prolonged use of these drugs also leads to chronic intoxication with bromide accumulation. The clinical features and treatment of three suicidal Obral^R overdoses and of two patients presenting with bromism are presented. Laboratory findings, from admission to recovery, consist of qualitative TLC and quantitative HPLC drug assays in body fluids and the determination in plasma of the two competing ions chloride and bromide. The high frequency of acute intoxications and carbromal induced bromism stresses the need to bring these preparations under prescription.