Lušić Dražen, Bezak Sara, Karačonji Irena Brčić
1University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia.
2University of Rijeka, Faculty of Health Studies, Rijeka, Croatia.
Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. 2024 Dec 29;75(4):240-244. doi: 10.2478/aiht-2024-75-3918. eCollection 2024 Dec 1.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant of plant origin found in many products such as coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks. It is also often used as an active substance in over-the-counter drugs such as painkillers and preparations for the treatment of colds and allergies. While caffeine is generally considered safe when moderately consumed, excessive intake in a single dose or through repeated small doses over time can lead to caffeine intoxication. Symptoms of caffeine intoxication can vary depending on the amount of caffeine consumed and can include restlessness, rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. In severe cases, caffeine intoxication can lead to convulsions, coma, and even death. This mini-review presents an overview of caffeine's characteristics and intoxication including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. It addresses risk factors associated with caffeine intoxication and presents current recommendations for safe caffeine consumption. The studies we have reviewed suggest that in cases of fatal caffeine intoxications, intentional intoxication is more common than unintentional.
咖啡因是一种天然的植物源性兴奋剂,存在于许多产品中,如咖啡、茶、巧克力和能量饮料。它还经常被用作非处方药的活性成分,如止痛药以及治疗感冒和过敏的制剂。虽然适度摄入时咖啡因通常被认为是安全的,但单次过量摄入或随着时间推移通过反复少量摄入可能会导致咖啡因中毒。咖啡因中毒的症状可能因摄入的咖啡因量而异,可能包括烦躁不安、心率加快、肌肉震颤、恶心、呕吐和意识混乱。在严重情况下,咖啡因中毒可导致抽搐、昏迷甚至死亡。这篇小型综述概述了咖啡因的特性和中毒情况,包括症状、病因、诊断和治疗。它探讨了与咖啡因中毒相关的风险因素,并提出了当前关于安全饮用咖啡因的建议。我们所综述的研究表明,在致命的咖啡因中毒案例中,故意中毒比非故意中毒更为常见。