KARACHI, Jan 3: More than 90 per cent of patients brought to hospital in unconscious condition due to taking overdoses of drugs or drug poisoning could be saved from major harm if provided emergency treatment according to medical protocols.

This was stated by the Neurophysician of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Dr Shaukat Ali, on the first day of the six-day annual training course for Family Physicians organized at the hospital on Monday by the Pakistan Society of Physicians (PSP).

"If someone becomes unconscious due to drug poisoning, the immediate aid is to keep open the patient's air ways for which oxygenation is important besides maintaining blood circulation to all parts of the body," he said.

He stressed that family physicians must be aware of emergency treatment and should provide the same to the patient at the earliest. "In such cases, it is very important to save the brain, and to diagnose brain infections urgently, as the brain can be damaged if treatment is delayed even for one hour," he added. - PPI