Redotex ingestions reported to Texas poison centers.

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Public Health
• Pharmacovigilance

Background:

• Redotex, a multi-component weight loss supplement, is banned in the United States but accessible in Mexico.
• Understanding the patterns of calls related to such substances is crucial for public health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the characteristics and patterns of calls received by a statewide poison center system concerning the weight loss supplement Redotex.
• To analyze demographic and clinical factors associated with Redotex calls and ingestions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of all Redotex-related calls received by Texas poison centers between 2000 and 2008.
• Distribution analysis of calls based on geographic location (bordering counties), patient demographics, and clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Out of 34 total Redotex calls, 55.9% originated from Texas counties bordering Mexico.
• Of 22 reported ingestions, 77.3% involved females, and 45.5% were aged 20 years or older.
• Medical outcomes ranged from no effect (23.5%) to moderate effects (11.8%), with a significant portion (47.1%) not followed but potentially having minimal effects.

Conclusions:

• The majority of Redotex-related calls to the Texas poison center system originated from border regions, suggesting a pattern of use or exposure linked to its availability in Mexico.
• The findings highlight the importance of poison center surveillance for supplements banned in one country but available in neighboring regions.