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Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Treatment Strategies

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Treatment Strategies

Treatment strategies for poisoning are a critical aspect of emergency medicine, focusing on preventing the absorption of toxins and enhancing their elimination. When a poisoning incident occurs, the first response is to halt exposure and decontaminate the patient, particularly through gastrointestinal (GI) methods if the poison was ingested.Gastrointestinal Decontamination Techniques:Activated charcoal is the cornerstone of GI decontamination. It works through adsorption, binding the toxin to...

Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison

Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison

In cases of acute poisoning, the primary objective is to prevent further absorption of the toxic substance into the body. Immediate interventions using various decontamination techniques targeting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can achieve this. Decontamination is crucial to prevent poison from entering the systemic circulation, which involves washing affected areas with water and mild soap and removing contaminated clothing. Once external decontamination is done, attention must be turned to...

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...

Anticholinesterase Agents: Poisoning and Treatment

Anticholinesterase Agents: Poisoning and Treatment

Anticholinesterases, also known as cholinesterase inhibitors, work by blocking the breakdown of acetylcholine, leading to its accumulation in the synaptic cleft. This accumulation indirectly enhances both muscarinic and nicotinic actions. These agents are classified as reversible or irreversible based on their mechanism of action.
Irreversible agents form a strong bond with the cholinesterase enzyme, making it inactive. The breakdown of the phosphorylated enzyme is slower than the...

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

In vitro Cell Culture Model for Toxic Inhaled Chemical Testing

In vitro Cell Culture Model for Toxic Inhaled Chemical Testing

Published on: May 8, 2014

Observation unit experience for pediatric poison exposures.

Diane P Calello¹, Elizabeth R Alpern, Maureen McDaniel-Yakscoe

¹Section of Medical Toxicology, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School-University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019, USA. diane.calello@umdnj.edu

Journal of Medical Toxicology : Official Journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology

|February 5, 2009

Summary

Pediatric observation units (OU) can safely manage select poisoning exposures. Poisoned children had significantly lower unexpected hospitalization rates compared to other OU patients.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

In vitro Cell Culture Model for Toxic Inhaled Chemical Testing

In vitro Cell Culture Model for Toxic Inhaled Chemical Testing

Published on: May 8, 2014

Area of Science:

Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Toxicology
Healthcare Management

Background:

Limited data exists on the care of pediatric poisoning exposures in Short-Stay Emergency Department Observation Units (OU).
Pediatric OUs offer an alternative to hospitalization for various conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

To report the experience of a pediatric OU managing children with poisoning exposures.
To compare hospitalization rates and outcomes of poisoned pediatric patients in the OU versus non-poisoned patients.

Main Methods:

Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients with poison exposure admitted to a pediatric OU over 30 months.
Data collected included demographics, toxicants, clinical presentation, and hospitalization rates.
Comparison of poisoned OU patients to non-poisoned OU patients.

Main Results:

86 pediatric poisoning cases were analyzed; 82.4% were under 6 years old.
Common toxicants included psychoactive drugs (25%) and cardiovascular agents (19%).
The overall hospitalization rate was 5.4%, significantly lower than the 20.3% for non-poisoned OU patients. Unexpected hospitalization rate was 2.2%.

Conclusions:

Select pediatric poisoning cases are suitable for management in an OU setting.
Poisoned pediatric patients experienced less frequent unexpected hospitalizations from the OU compared to other diagnoses.
No adverse events were associated with OU placement for poisoned children.