Central anticholinergic syndrome in a pediatric patient following transdermal scopolamine patch placement

A 9-year-old child was admitted to the hospital with congenital left ureteropelvic junction obstruction with massive left pyelocaliectasis and underwent dismembered pyeloplasty of the left kidney under general anesthesia without complications. Postoperatively, the child was placed on patient-controlled analgesia, with morphine as the drug of choice. The patient was discharged to the ward with adequate pain control and no complaints of nausea or vomiting. Once on the ward, a transdermal scopolamine patch was placed for nausea and vomiting. More than 24 hours after patch placement, the child experienced central anticholinergic syndrome (CAS) with hallucinations and incontinence. The scopolamine patch was promptly removed, and all symptoms of CAS rapidly ceased. A transdermal scopolamine patch should not be used in the pediatric population, and with extreme caution in the elderly. Treatment of CAS includes prompt removal of the patch, cleansing of the area, and possible physostigmine administration.