A patient is brought into
the resuscitation room with a reduced conscious level. He was recognised as having been
admitted a week earlier with deliberate self-poisoning. His blood gases were as
follows: pH 7.01; PaO2 9.8 kPa; PaCO2 6.1 kPa; HCO3 – 12 mEq/L; base excess –18; anion gap
9 mEq/L.
Which one of the following
is the patientMOST LIKELY to have been poisoned with?
a) Amitriptyline
b) Methadone
c) Paroxetine
d) Ethanol
e) Organophosphates
