Early intravenous lipid emulsion therapy for diphenhydramine overdose: a case report

Abstract

Diphenhydramine (DPH) is a lipophilic inverse agonist at the histamine receptor. Overdoses usually present with anticholinergic symptoms. Wide-complex tachycardia decompensating into cardiovascular collapse may occur in larger overdoses. Here we report a patient who developed ventricular dysrhythmias after ingestion of 83 mg/kg of diphenhydramine, went into cardiovascular collapse that was rescued with early administration of intravenous lipid emulsion.