NREMT Paramedic

Answer: A - Tricyclic drug overdose results in pulseless electrical activity and has dysrhythmia as the most common cause of death. Tricyclics are antidepressants that were once used to treat depression, but are on the decline because of their narrow therapeutic index and the availability of safer drugs. Signs of Tricyclic toxicity include an altered mental status, hallucinations, hypotension, and cardiac dysrhythmia, such as torsade de pointes. A severe overdose can result in pulseless electrical activity. Treat by managing ABCs, determine need for GI decontamination, and sodium bicarbonate may be required.