Sir.—Some reports have been recently published detailing the side effects of ranitidine in adulthood: gynecomastia,1 temporary impotence, 2 bradycardia, 3 and mental confusion4,5 have all been noted. Ranitidine was introduced for pediatric use only a short time ago; therefore, its dosage and the period of treatment have not yet been clearly determined. We know of only one report of side effects in a boy who developed loss of color vision.6
We have recently observed a 4-year-old child who had taken ranitidine hydrochloride for the past ten months (8 mg/kg, once daily) for esophagitis. The patient was admitted to our hospital because of the sudden onset of alteration in consciousness 12 hours after the last dose of ranitidine. He showed drowsiness, dysarthria, hyporeflexia, Babinski's sign on the left side, sweating, and bradycardia (pulse rate, 48 beats per minute; blood pressure, 80/50 mm Hg). He had no other