Pediatric quetiapine overdose: a case report and literature review

Quetiapine is a medication approved for the treatment of psychotic disorders in adults. At this time it is not approved for the treatment of children or adolescents. It is an atypical antipsychotic agent that is efficacious in treating both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. There is currently little information available concerning the safety of quetiapine in overdose, and there are no previous case reports of quetiapine overdose in the pediatric population. We present the case of a 15-year-old girl who ingested 1250 mg of quetiapine (21.6 mg/kg) in a suicide attempt. She developed multiple symptoms including tachycardia, agitation, hypotension, and unconsciousness. We compare her symptoms to previous adult cases of quetiapine overdose and review overdose treatment recommendations. We also examine clinical situations that may lead to a more severe clinical course.