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Emergency Department Visits for Medication Poisonings In Children Under 5 Increased, Study Finds
The number of emergency department visits due to medication poisoning for children under age 5 increased 30% from 2001 to 2008, according to a new study published in The Journal of Pediatrics. Researchers analyzed data for 2001-2008 provided by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, and found that of the 453,559 children taken to an emergency department in association with a potentially toxic dose of one medication, 95% were due to child self-exposure. Child self-exposure to prescription products accounted for 55% of the emergency room visits, 76% of admissions, and 71% of significant injuries, and included self-ingestion of prescription pain medications, sedatives, and cardiovascular medications. The researchers concluded that the most likely explanation for the increase in these types of medication poisonings is “a rise in the number of medications in the environment of small children,” as well as possible exposure to medications that were less available in the environment of young children in the past. The authors suggest that changes in medication packaging may help to prevent self-ingestion episodes and may help to limit the amount of medication a child can quickly ingest, and that education efforts should focus on encouraging secure storage of medications.
