Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
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Australas Psychiatry · Jun 2007
Case ReportsProlonged anticholinergic delirium following antihistamine overdose.
A case of anticholinergic delirium in a female adolescent is described, exploring the pharmacokinetic reasons for the prolonged time course and reviewing the management provided. ⋯ A 14 year old female hospitalised for depression ingested large quantities of promethazine and cyproheptadine. A severe anticholinergic delirium ensued which resolved after six days, much longer than the expected duration. The likely cause of the prolonged delirium was the interaction of promethazine and fluvoxamine through the inhibition of the CYP2D6 enzyme. The patient's young age, the severity of the poisoning and the use of drugs with anticholinergic properties to manage the delirium may also have contributed. The delirium may have been reversed had a cholinesterase inhibitor been provided soon after the overdose.
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Australas Psychiatry · Jun 2007
Stigma and quality of life as experienced by people with mental illness.
The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which people with mental illness in a New Zealand setting encounter stigma and discrimination and to examine their satisfaction with quality of life. ⋯ The experience of stigma and dissatisfaction with quality of life among people with mental illness is common. This has implications for clinical assessment and management.