The mainstay of pharmacologic treatment of overactive bladder is anticholinergic therapy. Cholinergic blockade is efficacious in decreasing the symptoms of urgency, frequency, and urge incontinence, but also is associated with undesirable side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, and central nervous system side effects. The property of anticholinergic agents that has been as...

The military incapacitating agent BZ (3-quinuclidinyl benzilate) is an anticholinergic compound that acts at both, the peripheral and central nervous system. Effects of the agent were discovered during the Cold War and BZ became one of the most potent anticholinergic psychomimetics, characterized by low effective doses causing long-term incapacitation. History, characteristics and potential use...

Introduction: Rapid treatment of patients with anticholinergic toxicity in the Ernergcncy Department (ED) has remained problematic for many years. These patients are often agitated. uncooperative, and unable to provide a clear history. Physostigmine is a specific antidote for anticholinergic toxicity. yet its popularity has waned due to controversy surrounding its potential central nervo~is sys...

The mydriatic response to eyedrops of the anticholinergic agent tropicamide at very low concentration (0.01%) has been studied in people with Down's syndrome. By comparison with healthy subjects people with Down's syndrome had responses approximately three times greater, suggesting a peripheral imbalance between cholinergic and adrenergic autonomic influences.

A case of toxic psychosis due to antihistamine poisoning is described. The reversal of this state by physostigmine supports the contention that it is caused by an anticholinergic syndrome. The management of antihistamine poisoning is discussed.

Lavender plants have been used for their cosmetic and biologic benefits for many centries. Extracts from Lavandula plants have been found to cause antimuscarinic effects by blocking sodium and calcium ion channels in in vitro and in vivo studies. We present a case of poisoning by ingestion of tea made from Lavender stoechas ( grass). The patient was admitted to our emergency department with sup...

OBJECTIVE The authors' goals were 1) to establish a clinically useful standard index of the relative anticholinergic potency of psychiatric medications; 2) to determine which cognitive functions are most affected by the administration of anticholinergic medications to patients with schizophrenia; and 3) to compare in vitro and clinically derived indexes of anticholinergic load in predicting the...

References 1. Ekbom K, Lindholm H, Ljungberg L: New dystonic syndrome associated with butyrophenone therapy. Z Neurol 1972; 202: 94–103 2. Yassa R, Nastase C, Cvejic J, Laberge G: The Pisa syndrome (or pleurothotonus): prevalence in a psychogeriatric population. Biol Psychiatry 1991; 29:942–945 3. Duggal HS, Sivamony S, Umapathy C: Pisa syndrome and atypical antipsychotics (letter). Am J Psychi...

Poisoning remains a major cause of hospital admission into the emergency department and intensive care unit. Proper diagnosis is the cornerstone for optimal management of poisoned patients. Since the definitive analytical confirmation of the nature of the toxicant involved in the poisoning cannot be rapidly obtained in the majority of healthcare facilities, diagnosis relies on the medical histo...