ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 13

A Comparison of Three Computer Models for Prediction of Dose in Acute Amitriptyline Overdose
Wimbish, G
Associate professor and director, Institute of Forensic Medicine, and associate professor of medical education, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, TX

Shores, J
Associate professor and director, Institute of Forensic Medicine, and associate professor of medical education, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, TX

Spiehler, V
Technical director, Diagnostic Products Corp., CA

(Received 5 October 1989; accepted 1 February 1990)

Abstract

The pharmacokinetics of amitriptyline in overdose have been reported not to fit conventional compartmental models. In this study, the dose-concentration-time relationships of amitriptyline in overdose were modeled with discriminant analysis, with an evolutionary heuristic search program, and with a decision-tree model based on the entropy of uncertainty of classification. The computer models all used the same data from dogs administered treatment (80 mg/kg), toxic (250 mg/kg), or fatal (500 mg/kg) doses directly into the surgically isolated duodenum. All the models achieved a high degree of success (77 to 93%) in assigning records to the high-, low-, or middle-dose groups. Two of the models gave a probability of the assignment. Results of this analysis suggest that blood amitriptyline and nortriptyline concentrations are most useful in estimating dose in acute amitriptyline overdose.

Keywords:
toxicology, computers, amitriptyline

Paper ID: JFS13016J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13016J
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