Toxicology case of the month: ingestion of two unidentified tablets by a toddler.
An asymptomatic 18 month old child presents to the emergency department of a small district hospital shortly after ingesting two unidentified tablets. A small number of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs may produce life threatening toxicity in a small child if ingested even in one or two dose units and the onset of toxicity may be delayed for some agents. Following risk assessment, a rational management plan is devised and the child is carefully monitored. The patient is observed overnight and discharged home the following day.
McCoubrie
D
D
Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia.
Murray
L
L
Daly
F F S
FF
Little
M
M
D003666:Decontamination; D004435:Eating; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D013607:Tablets / Q000506:poisoning*
D013607:Tablets