Final answer:
Typical symptoms of cholinergic overdose include miosis, blurred vision, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle twitching, seizures, and unconsciousness. Treatment involves using anticholinergics and oximes as an antidote.
Step-by-step explanation:
Typical symptoms of cholinergic overdose include miosis (pinpoint pupils), blurred or dim vision, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, copious secretions or sweating, muscle twitching or fasciculations, dyspnea, seizures, and unconsciousness. These symptoms occur due to excessive activity of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter responsible for transmitting nerve impulses.
Treatment for cholinergic overdose involves using an anticholinergic medication to manage the symptoms and an oxime as an antidote. Anticholinergics work by reducing the effects of acetylcholine, while oximes help break down excess acetylcholine.
One example of an anticholinergic drug is atropine, which acts as an antagonist to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Another synthetic anticholinergic, biperiden, may be more effective in counteracting the central symptoms of nerve agent poisoning. The standard treatment for military personnel includes an autoinjector containing the combination of anticholinergic and oxime.