Anticholinergic Drug Toxicity: Toxidrome Effects and Mechanism of Action [Pharmacology Made Easy]

Anticholinergic drug toxicity and pharmacology is made easy using this simple trick to remember the symptoms and effects of anticholinergic toxidrome. Great for nursing, medical, and USMLE!

Most anticholinergic drugs are antimuscarinic (few act on nicotinic cholinergic receptors), and their mechanism of action involves blocking acetylcholine from binding to the cholinergic muscarinic receptors of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Anticholinergic drug toxicity or overdose results in many sympathetic-like symptoms because the parasympathetic nervous system is blocked, leaving an unopposed sympathetic nervous system.

Anticholinergic effects can be remembered using the saying "mad as a hatter, blind as a bat, hot as a hare, dry as a bone, red as a beet".

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Thanks for watching!

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Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction
0:39 Anticholinergic Examples
1:19 Anticholinergic Mnemonic
1:43 Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic
3:55 Anticholinergic vs Sympathomimetic Toxicity
6:13 Anticholinergic Toxicity Symptoms
6:42 Anticholinergic Workup
8:39 Anticholinergic Management
10:08 Antidote Treatment
11:03 Table & Chart

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