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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

SECONDs Administration Guidelines: A Fast Tool to Assess Consciousness in Brain-injured Patients
11:05

SECONDs Administration Guidelines: A Fast Tool to Assess Consciousness in Brain-injured Patients

Published on: February 6, 2021

[Loss of consciousness in a child due to loperamide]

S Chanzy1, S Moretti, H Mayet

  • 1Service de pédiatrie et néonatologie, centre hospitalier d'Orsay, BP 27, 91401 Orsay, France. s.chanzy@ch-orsay.fr

Archives De Pediatrie : Organe Officiel De La Societe Francaise De Pediatrie
|July 6, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Loperamide, an antidiarrheal, can cause rare neurological effects like impaired consciousness in children. Naloxone effectively treated this adverse event, highlighting its diagnostic and therapeutic potential.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Pediatrics
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Loperamide is a widely used antidiarrheal medication.
  • It acts as a peripheral opioid agonist.
  • Neurological side effects are rare but possible.

Observation:

  • A 26-month-old child experienced impaired consciousness while taking loperamide.
  • This neurological adverse effect prompted further investigation.

Findings:

  • The child's impaired consciousness was successfully treated with naloxone.
  • Naloxone administration served both diagnostic and therapeutic roles.

Implications:

  • The findings underscore the potential risks of loperamide in young children.
  • Naloxone is a potential antidote for loperamide-induced central nervous system depression.
  • Caution is advised when prescribing loperamide to pediatric patients.

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