Baclofen Poisoning in a Young Girl Resulted in Her Being Placed on the Organ Donation List: A Case Report

Hossein Karballaei Mirzahosseini; Leili  Manafi

doi:10.18502/aacc.v11i5.19944

Hossein Karballaei Mirzahosseini School of Pharmacy, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Leili Manafi School of Pharmacy, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/aacc.v11i5.19944

Keywords: Drug over dose; Misdiagnosis; Respiratory depression; Brain death; Baclofen toxicity

Abstract

Baclofen functions as a GABA-B receptor agonist and is utilized as a muscle relaxant. Acute baclofen poisoning can lead to significant central nervous system depression, which may occasionally be challenging to distinguish from brain death. Because of the complexities associated with the diagnosis and treatment of baclofen poisoning, we decided to document this case.

We present the case of an 18-year-old female who experienced acute poisoning due to an intentional overdose of baclofen. He was intubated and in a deep coma with no brainstem reflexes. Initial evaluations indicated brain death due to the lack of neurological responses. The patient received intensive supportive care and continuous monitoring. Over the following days, she showed gradual neurological improvement, eventually regaining consciousness and autonomic stability. After an extended hospital stay and a careful reduction of ventilation support, she achieved a full neurological recovery.

Baclofen toxicity may show severe symptoms of brain death, but with the support of the intensive care unit, the symptom may be completely reversible