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Clonidine poisoning in young children
J F Wiley1, C C Wiley, S B Torrey
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|April 1, 1990
Summary
Clonidine poisoning in young children can cause serious symptoms, but it typically doesn't worsen after 4 hours. Naloxone, an antidote, showed inconsistent effectiveness in treating clonidine poisoning.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Toxicology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Clonidine poisoning in children presents significant clinical challenges.
- Understanding the clinical course and treatment efficacy is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical course of clonidine poisoning in children.
- To assess the role of supportive measures and naloxone response.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 47 inpatient records of children with clonidine poisoning.
- Severity assessed using the Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) score.
- Analysis of clinical findings, symptom progression, and naloxone administration.
Main Results:
- Central nervous system effects (44 patients), bradycardia (25), and respiratory depression (18) were common.
- Most symptoms appeared within 1 hour, with no deterioration after 4 hours.
- Naloxone showed inconsistent improvement, with some patients requiring intubation despite its use.
Conclusions:
- Clonidine poisoning in young children can lead to a broad range of severe symptoms.
- Delayed symptom progression is unlikely in children with normal renal function.
- Naloxone appears to be an inconsistent antidote for pediatric clonidine poisoning.