Colchicine Overdose in 6 Patients

We report on 6 acute colchicine overdose patients, 4 of whom died. Five were young healthy adults who took tablets that belonged to someone else. Bacteraemia is not infrequent in such patients and it appears that broad spectrum antibiotic therapy should be introduced early in the course of the intoxication at the first signs of possible sepsis. Immunotherapy with colchicine-specific antibodies is a promising approach to treatment. An even better approach to the problem would be to prevent the poisoning in the first place by measures such as education and, perhaps, blister packaging the tablets.