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Descriptive epidemiology of infant ingestion calls to a regional poison control center

Teresa J Coco1, William D King, Ann P Slattery

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Health System, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. teoco@peds.uab.edu

Southern Medical Journal
|September 8, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Therapeutic misadventures are common in infants under 6 months due to dosing errors. Educating caregivers on accurate medication measurement and administration can help prevent these dangerous incidents.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Safety
  • Medication Errors
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Infants under 6 months are a vulnerable population.
  • Medication administration errors pose significant risks to infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the epidemiology of ingestions and therapeutic misadventures in infants 6 months of age or younger.
  • To identify common causes of medication errors in this age group.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of poison center cases.
  • Analysis of 358 cases involving infants younger than 6 months.

Main Results:

  • 53% of cases involved therapeutic misadventures.
  • Caregiver dosing errors (incorrect measurement, dosing interval, route, repeated dosing) accounted for 41% of misadventures.
  • Pharmacy errors and wrong medication administration occurred in 3% and 9% of cases, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • Therapeutic misadventures due to dosing errors are prevalent in infants under 6 months.
  • Inaccurate measurement, repeated dosing, incorrect intervals, and wrong routes are primary causes.
  • Healthcare providers should educate caregivers on proper medication administration and use of measuring devices to enhance prevention.
Abstract

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