Nonfatal chloroquine poisoning.

Acute overdosage with chloroquine is a life-threatening emergency. Adults who have ingested greater than 3 gm of chloroquine phosphate have died within 2 hr after ingestion. We describe the rapid onset of typical gastrointestinal, central nervous system, respiratory, and cardiovascular symptomatology in a 49-year-old female who ingested 19.5 gm of chloroquine phosphate. Prompt emesis, lavage, administration of activated charcoal, and aggressive treatment of hypotension and respiratory distress were responsible for the patient's recovery within 6 hr.