Fern Women Overdosage

Symptoms of iron overdosage can be divided into four stages: Stage I: occurs up to six hours after ingestion, the principal symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. Other symptoms include hypertension, tachycardia and central nervous system depression ranging from lethargy to coma.
Stage II: may occur 6 to 24 hours after ingestion and is characterized by a temporary remission or signs of overdosage are decreased.
Stage III: gastrointestinal symptoms recur accompanied by shock, metabolic acidosis, coma, liver necrosis, jaundice, hypoglycemia, kidney failure, and pulmonary edema.
Stage IV: occurs several weeks after ingestion and is characterized by gastrointestinal obstruction and liver damage.
Gastric lavage with 1% sodium bicarbonate or induction of vomiting should be undertaken. Deferoxamine has also been used as additive to gastric lavage solutions to chelate elemental iron in the gastrointestinal tract.
Supportive treatment such as suction and maintenance of airway, correction of acidosis, and control of shock and dehydration should be administered as required when a potentially lethal dose of iron (e.g., 5,400-10,000 mg elemental iron per day) has been ingested.