[How I treat … a poisoning with tricyclic antidepressants : potential role of a treatment with lipid emulsion].

Poisoning with tricyclic antidepressants is common and can be life-threatening. The classic management is well known (chelating gastrointestinal, sodium bicarbonate, benzodiazepine, norepinephrine). A few years ago, a treatment with lipid emulsion, previously used in local anesthetics poisoning, has been successfully tested in tricyclic poisoning with cardiac arrest. We are currently unable to explain the exact mechanism of this treatment but it could have a place in the treatment of severe tricyclic poisoning with hemodynamic instability in addition to the conventional treatment.