Transdermal patch medication delivery systems and pediatric poisonings, 2002-2006.
Transdermal drug delivery systems are an increasingly popular method of medication delivery containing large quantities of medication and presenting new opportunities for toxicity. To provide a description of exposures to transdermal medications in a pediatric population, we studied exposures in individuals less than 12 years of age. This is a retrospective database study in which the Texas Poison Center Network database from 2002 to 2006 was reviewed. In all, 336 poison control center records of patch exposures over the 5-year period were identified. Of those, 110 cases involved children less than 12 years old. A majority of cases resulted in no significant clinical effects. One death resulted from opioid toxicity. Although a majority of patch exposures in children less than 12 years of age resulted in no significant clinical toxicity, practitioners and the public must be made aware of the available patch-based medications and their potential for toxicity in children.
Parekh
Dina
D
Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Darnall Army Medical Center, Ft Hood, Texas, USA.
Miller
Michael A
MA
Borys
Doug
D
Patel
Paresh R
PR
Levsky
Marc E
ME
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
D004366:Nonprescription Drugs