CSN Monthly Bulletin

Poisonings

March 2006

This bulletin comes to you from the Children's Safety Network through CSN Discuss, an electronic forum for the discussion of child and adolescent injury and violence prevention and related issues.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Articles and Reports
  1. Article: Storage of poisonous substances and firearms in homes with young children visitors and older adults
  2. Article: Unit-dose packaging of iron supplements and reduction of iron poisoning in young children
  3. Article: Ipecac syrup abuse, morbidity, and mortality: isn't it time to repeal its over-the-counter status?
  4. Article: Carbon monoxide poisoning after hurricane Katrina--Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, August-September 2005
  5. Article: Trends in gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and related drug intoxication: 1999 to 2003
 

Availability

Copies of many items can be delivered to state Maternal and Child Health and state public health staff upon request. Articles available by e-mail are so indicated. Some other articles can be faxed or mailed. To request an article or other publication, e-mail jhudson@edc.org with the item name, delivery preference (e-mail, fax number, or mailing address). This service is available to state Maternal and Child Health and state public health staff. Copyright laws forbid us from delivering articles to others. URLs of publications that can be downloaded from the web are included in the bibliographic information.

ARTICLES AND REPORTS

  1. Coyne-Beasley T, Runyan CW, Baccaglini L, Perkis D, Johnson RM.
    Storage of poisonous substances and firearms in homes with young children visitors and older adults.
    American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2005 Jan;28(1):109-15.

    This study found that poisons and firearms were stored less securely in homes with young children as visitors compared to homes in which young children lived. The authors concluded that strategies are needed to improve the poison and firearms storage practices to minimize hazards to young children, particularly those who visit, rather than reside in, the household in which these risks are present.

    Availability: e-mail or hard copy.

  2. Tenenbein M.
    Unit-dose packaging of iron supplements and reduction of iron poisoning in young children.
    Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2005 Jun;159(6):557-60.

    Iron poisoning is a major cause of poisoning death to young children. In 1997, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a regulation for unit-dose packaging of iron supplements in 1997. This study demonstrated that there was a decrease in the incidence of iron ingestion and a dramatic decrease in the number of deaths due to iron poisoning (in children under 6 years of age). This shows that unit-dose packaging can be an effective at preventing iron poisoning and iron poisoning deaths in young children and should be considered for other medications.

    Availability: e-mail or hard copy.

  3. Silber TJ.
    Ipecac syrup abuse, morbidity, and mortality: isn't it time to repeal its over-the-counter status?
    Journal of Adolescent Health. 2005 Sep;37(3):256-60.

    The author reviewed the abuse of Ipecac and described its epidemiology, toxicity, clinical characteristics, and laboratory assessment through a review of the literature generated by a Medline search for articles on Ipecac abuse and Ipecac toxicity. This analysis revealed that Ipecac abuse occurs predominantly among adolescent and young adult females who are either experimenting with purging or have an eating disorder. Psychiatric comorbidity is common. Death can occur and is usually of cardiac origin. A high index of suspicion is needed for early detection. The author recommended that if ipecac syrup remains an over- the-counter medication, or become a prescription medication, more stringent warning labels should be used and additional information be included about its toxicity and potential for abuse. The author also suggests that the best method of eliminating Ipecac abuse would be to make it a prescription medication.

    Availability: e-mail or hard copy.

  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    Carbon monoxide poisoning after hurricane Katrina--Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, August-September 2005.
    Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2005 Oct 7;54(39):996-8.

    This MMWR Early Release describes 51 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning (5 fatal) reported to the CDC by hyperbaric oxygen facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. All but one of these poisonings were caused by exhaust from a portable generator.

    Availability: The report is available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5439a7.htm.

  5. Anderson IB, Kim SY, Dyer JE, Burkhardt CB, Iknoian JC, Walsh MJ, Blanc PD.
    Trends in gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and related drug intoxication: 1999 to 2003.
    Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2006 Feb;47(2):177-83.

    This study examined the changes in gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB – the so-called “date rape” drug) case reporting reported to the California Poison Control System and compared these to data from American Association of Poison Control Centers, Drug Abuse Warning Network, and National Institute for Drug Abuse. An absolute decrease was present across all case types, although there was a significant proportional decrease in routine drug abuse cases and an increase in malicious events, including GHB-facilitated sexual assault. This decreased could be due to decreased abuse rates or because fewer abusers seek emergency medical care. Case reporting may account for part of the decrease in the incidence of poison center contacts involving GHB.

    Availability: e-mail or hard copy.

top of page

 

The next CSN Discuss Bulletin will focus on bicycle safety.

 

Please direct questions about this bulletin to Monique Sheppardat:
Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation (PIRE)
11710 Beltsville Drive, Suite 125
Calverton, MD 20705-3102
http://www.edarc.org
Phone: 301-755-2728
Fax: 301-755-2799
E-mail: sheppard@pire.org