Phencyclidine Toxicity Clinical Presentation

  • Author: Patrick L West, MD; Chief Editor: Asim Tarabar, MD   more...
 
Updated: Feb 1, 2011
 

History

Because of the numerous routes of administration, variations in dosage, and possibility of co-ingestants, PCP produces a wide variety of physical and behavioral effects. Most commonly, witnesses may report agitation, bizarre actions, or violent behavior. Users of PCP often appear to be having a psychotic episode and may or may not report to the physician that they have taken the drug.

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Physical

Based on a study by McCarron et al in which 1,000 patients presenting with acute phencyclidine intoxication were evaluated, clinical effects ranged from lethargy and coma to extreme agitation and psychosis.[7]

Common physical examination findings include the following:

  • Nystagmus (horizontal, vertical, or rotary) - Rotary often considered a hallmark of PCP intoxication (57-89%)
  • Hypertension (57%)
  • Acute brain syndrome involving confusion, amnesia, disorientation, and violence (37%)
  • Agitation and violent behavior (35%)
  • Tachycardia (30%)
  • Bizarre behavior including public nudity (29%)
  • Hallucinations and delusions (19%)
  • Miosis - Often reported with a blank stare

Rare findings, usually only seen with high doses, include the following:

  • Seizures (3.1%)
  • Dystonia
  • Ataxia
  • Apnea (often seen with co-ingestants)
  • Catatonia
  • Coma - PCP coma usually presents with nystagmus and the absence of respiratory depression. Unlike opioid-induced coma, it does not improve with naloxone.
  • Hypertensive crisis
  • Myocardial infarction (non-Q wave, cardiac enzyme leak)
  • Intracranial and subarachnoid hemorrhage

Other manifestations include the following:

  • Hyperthermia, hyperreflexia, and muscle rigidity have been reported.
  • Rhabdomyolysis with or without acute renal failure may also occur.
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Patrick L West, MD  Clinical Instructor, Medical Toxicology Fellow, Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health and Sciences University; Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Nathanael J McKeown, DO  Assistant Professor, Oregon Health and Science University; Medical Toxicologist, Oregon Poison Center; Attending Physician, Emergency Medicine, Portland Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Oregon Health and Science University

Nathanael J McKeown, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Medical Toxicology, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Robert S Helman, MD  Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Peninsula Hospital Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Lance W Kreplick, MD, FAAEM, MMM  Medical Director of Hyperbaric Medicine, Fawcett Wound Management and Hyperbaric Medicine; Consulting Staff in Occupational Health and Rehabilitation, Company Care Occupational Health Services; President and Chief Executive Officer, QED Medical Solutions, LLC

Lance W Kreplick, MD, FAAEM, MMM, is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and American College of Physician Executives

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John T VanDeVoort, PharmD  Regional Director of Pharmacy, Sacred Heart and St Joseph's Hospitals

John T VanDeVoort, PharmD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Fred Harchelroad, MD, FACMT, FAAEM, FACEP  Director of Medical Toxicology, Allegheny General Hospital

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Asim Tarabar, MD  Assistant Professor, Director, Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous authors, Nicole S Johnson, MD, and Mark A Silverberg, MD, to the development and writing of this article.

References

  1. Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM. Phencyclidine. In: Rosen's Emergency Medicine Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5th ed. St Louis: Mosby Inc; 2002:2146-8.

  2. Poisindex Editorial Staff. Phencyclidine (Acute Toxicity). In: Klasco RK, ed. POISINDEX System. Thomson Micromedex: Greenwood Village, CO; 2005.

  3. OAS Home of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Abuse Statistics. 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). [Full Text].

  4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 2007 Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, and conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. [Full Text].

  5. Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Green J, Rumack BH, Heard SE. 2006 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System (NPDS). Clin Toxicol (Phila). Dec 2007;45(8):815-917. [Medline].

  6. Drug Abuse Warning Network. Trends in PCP-Related Emergency Department Visits. January 2004. The Drug Abuse Warning Network Report. Available at www.dawninfo.samhsa.gov.

  7. McCarron MM, Schulze BW, Thompson GA, Conder MC, Goetz WA. Acute phencyclidine intoxication: clinical patterns, complications, and treatment. Ann Emerg Med. Jun 1981;10(6):290-7. [Medline].

  8. Babu K, Boyer E, et al. Emerging drugs of abuse. Clin Pediatr Emerg Med. Jun 2005;6(2):81-4.

  9. Bryson P. Phencyclidine. In: Comprehensive Review in Toxicology for Emergency Clinicians. 3rd ed. Taylor & Francis; 1996:509-16.

  10. Budai B, Iskandar H. Dextromethorphan can produce false positive phencyclidine testing with HPLC. Am J Emerg Med. Jan 2002;20(1):61-2. [Medline].

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  15. Marchei E, Pellegrini M, Pichini S, Martin I, Garcia-Algar O, Vall O. Are false-positive phencyclidine immunoassay instant-view multi-test results caused by overdose concentrations of Ibuprofen, metamizol, and dextromethorphan?. Ther Drug Monit. Oct 2007;29(5):671-3. [Medline].

  16. Mokhlesi B, Leikin JB, Murray P, Corbridge TC. Adult toxicology in critical care: Part II: specific poisonings. Chest. Mar 2003;123(3):897-922. [Medline].

  17. Morocco AP, Osterhoudt KC. Getting "wet" from recreational use of embalming fluid. Pediatr Case Rev. Apr 2003;3(2):111-3. [Medline].

  18. Morris BJ, Cochran SM, Pratt JA. PCP: from pharmacology to modelling schizophrenia. Curr Opin Pharmacol. Feb 2005;5(1):101-6. [Medline].

  19. Rimsza ME, Moses KS. Substance abuse on the college campus. Pediatr Clin North Am. Feb 2005;52(1):307-19, xii. [Medline].

  20. Sena S, Kazimia S, et al. False positive phencyclidine results caused by venlafaxine. Am J Psychiatry. Feb 2007;164(2):349.

  21. Wills B, Erickson T. Drug- and toxin-associated seizures. Med Clin North Am. Nov 2005;89(6):1297-321. [Medline].

 
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