University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool L9 7AL, UK. charles.vanheyningen@aht.nwest.nhs.uk
The use of colchicine, a treatment for acute gout and familial Mediterranean fever, is limited by its toxicity. A relatively low dose of colchicine may be fatal. After a colchicine overdose, monitoring should include 6-12 hourly serum troponin measurements. A rising troponin level predicts cardiovascular collapse and is an indication for more intensive management.