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Chloroquine poisoning in a child
J C Kelly1, G S Wasserman, W D Bernard
1Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri 64108.
Insights
Pediatric chloroquine poisoning is highly dangerous, with a 12-month-old infant succumbing to a single tablet. This case establishes a new minimal lethal dose for children, highlighting a critical need for improved pediatric treatment protocols.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Chloroquine poisoning in children is rare but life-threatening due to a narrow therapeutic-to-toxic dose ratio.
- Clinical manifestations in children include apnea, seizures, and cardiac arrhythmias.
- Pediatric mortality from chloroquine poisoning is significantly higher (80%) than in adults (10%).
Abstract:
Chloroquine poisoning in children, although infrequent, is extremely dangerous because of the narrow margin between therapeutic and toxic doses. Children clinically present with apnea, seizures, and cardiac arrhythmias. We present the case of a 12-month-old infant, the second-youngest patient reported in the US literature to die from chloroquine poisoning. A serum level of 4.4 mg/L (13.64 mumol/L) was obtained after the infant ingested only one tablet (300 mg). This establishes a new minimal lethal dose/blood level for children. Although some pediatric and adult pharmacokinetic and clinical similarities exist, the outcome is different. Pediatric mortality is 80%, whereas adult mortality is only 10%. Pediatric ingestion cases are primarily unintentional, and most adult cases are suicide attempts. Current treatment in adults includes a protocol of diazepam and epinephrine. Further studies involving children and these medications and other modalities are needed to improve survival.