Question

Lc is a 55 year-old hispanic female with renal insufficiency who has been hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure. she was started on nitroprusside and is now experiencing nausea, confusion, rapid breathing, and tachycardia. the physician suspects cyanide toxicity. what antidote could the pharmacist recommend

Answer 1

If the patient was started on nitroprusside and now has the following symptoms; nausea, heart failure, confusion, rapid breathing, and tachycardia it very well could be cyanide toxicity. The antidote that a pharmacist would recommend would be Sodium thiosulfate + Sodium nitrite. Hydroxocobalamin can also be used as an antidote. It is very important the 55-year-old Hispanic female is given the antidote as soon as possible due to her renal insufficiency.