Pediatric Poisoning: Overview, Treatment, and Prevention

Pediatric poisoning remains a common and preventable occurrence in the United States. Every year, prescription and over-the-counter medications account for a significant portion of documented poison exposures. Frequent causes of overdose in children include improper medication storage and caregiver or physician dosing error. As easily accessible medication experts, pharmacists have an opportunity to counsel patients in an effort to decrease these preventable poisoning cases. Because children frequently ingest products prescribed for adult use, pharmacist should relay safety considerations to all patients, regardless of age. This article provides a general review of toxicity concerns, discusses clinical implications of common medications resulting in poisonings and of those that are lethal in one or two doses, and describes the role of the pharmacist in poisoning treatment recommendations and prevention