Phencyclidine overdose

• Alternative names
• Definition
• Poisonous Ingredient
• Where Found
• Symptoms

• Home Treatment
• Before Calling Emergency
• Poison Control, or a local emergency number
• What to expect at the emergency room
• Expectations (prognosis)

Alternative names   

Definition    Return to top

This is poisoning from an overdose of phencyclidine.

Poisonous Ingredient    Return to top

• phencyclidine

Where Found    Return to top

• PCP
• Sernyl

Symptoms    Return to top

• body as a whole
  • uncontrolled movement
  • convulsions
  • incoordination
• eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • nystagmus (side-to-side eye movements)
• heart and blood vessels
  • high blood pressure
• nervous system
  • agitation (hyperexcitability, violent behavior)
  • coma
  • altered state of consciousness
  • hallucinations
  • psychosis
  • catatonic (patient does not talk, move, or react) trance

Home Treatment    Return to top

DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY Poison Control.

Before Calling Emergency    Return to top

Determine the following information:

• the patient's age, weight, and condition
• name of product (as well as the ingredients and strength if known)
• the time it was swallowed
• the amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number    Return to top

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room    Return to top

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

• Use gastric lavage.
• Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis)    Return to top

The outcome depends on the amount of PCP in the body, the time from the ingestion until medical treatment, and other factors. Recovery from the psychotic state may take several weeks in a quiet, darkened room.