If the ingestion occurred within one hour, consider administering activated charcoal via a stomach tube. This time frame may be extended in cases involving sustained-release products or with the ingestion of a large number of pills. Airway protection is essential in these patients, and the risks vs. benefits of activated charcoal use must be considered. 15 Calcium reverses the myocardial depression and improves atrioventricular nodal conduction. The tachyarrhythmias seen with the dihydropyridines usually resolve when the hypotension is corrected.
Frequent auscultation is important in severely affected cases to detect evidence of pulmonary edema.
15 Control hyperglycemia with insulin if it persists for more than a few hours. Treatment and monitoring should continue until all signs have resolved. The prognosis depends on the amount ingested and the severity of signs at presentation. Early, aggressive decontamination can prevent the onset of serious signs. Drugs used in treatment of cardiac arrhythmias .