Massive Pulmonary Embolism after Overdose of Oral Benzodiazepine

Abstract

Overdose of benzodiazepines rarely causes morbidity or mortality. A 58-year-old woman presented to the emergency department in coma after ingestion of 30 tablets of 0.5 mg alprazolam. She recovered after flumazenil was administered. However, massive pulmonary embolism developed during observation in the emergency department. Endotracheal intubation and recombinant tissue plasminogen activator infusion were initiated. This case report highlights that benzodiazepine overdose can contribute to pulmonary embolism which is a life-threatening condition.