May 1976, Vol 130, No. 5 >

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Article | May 1976

Accidental Poisoning With Psychotropic Drugs in Children FREE

David J. Greenblatt, MD; Marcia D. Allen, RN; Jan Koch-Weser, MD; Richard I. Shader, MD

[+] Author Affiliations

Received for publication Jan 27,1975; accepted April 15.

Reprint requests to the Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 (Dr Greenblatt).

Am J Dis Child. 1976;130(5):507-511. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1976.02120060053010.

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ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

• Seventy-seven (0.24%) of 32,005 admissions to the Massachusetts General Hospital pediatric service during the period 1962 to 1973 were due to accidental poisoning. In 27 cases, mostly involving children less than 6 years of age, psychotropic drugs were implicated. These included sedative-hypnotics in six cases, phenytoin in two, major tranquilizers in five, antidepressants in three, stimulants or hallucinogens in three, and drug mixtures in eight. Toxicologic analyses contributed little to diagnosis and initial management. Except for one child who ingested ferrous sulfate, no patient was seriously intoxicated, and all recovered rapidly without sequelae. Although referral of serious poisoning cases to another hospital may have biased the results, the findings suggest that accidental psychotropic drug poisoning is not a major source of childhood morbidity.

(Am J Dis Child 130:507-511, 1976)

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal