Overdose and Treatment: Many cases of β-blocker overdosage are uneventful, but some patients develop severe and occasionally fatal cardiovascular depression. Effects can include bradycardia, cardiac conduction block, hypotension, heart failure, and cardiogenic shock or convulsions, coma, respiratory depression, and bronchoconstriction can also occur, although infrequently. In overdosage, use of activated charcoal or gastric lavage should be considered if the patient presents within 1 hour of ingestion. Mild hypotension may respond to intravenous fluids. If hypotension continues, glucagon should be given or sympathomimetics may be used as an alternative or given with glucagon via intravenous route.
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