title: Accidental terfenadine ingestion in children.
abstract: Terfenadine is a newly marketed non-sedating antihistamine. It binds strongly with peripheral H-1 receptors and only weakly with muscarinic, alpha and beta-adrenergic receptors. There is limited information about ingestion by children 1-5 years old and no reports in the literature of accidental ingestion. We performed a 1-year retrospective study at the DVRPCC and NJPIES. Twenty-eight cases of accidental ingestions of terfenadine by children aged 1-5 yrs were identified; 27 cases were treated at home and 1 treated in a hospital. Two cases (120 mg and 300 mg) received ipecac at home and were followed by telephone with 1.4 and 24 hr callbacks. No symptoms were reported. In 1 case (180 mg) ipecac was advised but the mother refused to give it. No symptoms were reported on followup. One case (2 yr, 900mg) was referred to a hospital and arrived asymptomatic 2 hr postingestion. The child received activated charcoal and sorbitol, remained asymptomatic and was discharged 6 hr postingestion. The remaining 24 cases (60 mg-120 mg) were treated at home with observation alone. Twenty-one of these cases reported no symptoms on followup. Three cases were lost to followup. Evidence suggests that accidental ingestions of small doses of terfenadine (60 mg-120 mg) in children will not produce toxicity. Larger studies may be needed to verify these findings.
authors.affiliation: Delaware Valley Regional Poison Control Center, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Spiller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picciotti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perez
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000506:poisoning*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016593:Terfenadine
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D016593:Terfenadine