Cyclic antidepressant toxicity in children and adolescents

We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and laboratory findings of all patients admitted to our facility during a 6.5-year period with a history of cyclic antidepressant ingestion (CAD). Outcome parameters [admission CAD concentration, arterial pH, and corrected QT (QTc) and QRS intervals] used in adult populations to predict morbidity after CAD ingestion were applied to our study population. During the study period, 45 patients (mean +/- SD age of 11.8 +/- 5.6 years) were admitted with CAD ingestion. Conduction delays were present in 17 patients, 9 of whom had QTc intervals greater than 0.43 seconds. Seven patients had generalized seizures; 7 required mechanical ventilation; 14 had Glasgow Coma Scores of 8 or lower on presentation; and one required pharmacologic support for hypotension. In our cohort, the mean admission serum CAD concentration was 461.5 +/- 477.4 ng/mL. Correlations were found between the arterial pH, the QRS interval, the QTc interval, and the admission CAD serum concentration. In an analysis of three subsets of patients (i.e., those with seizures, coma, and respiratory insufficiency), only patients who presented with seizures were found to have a significant prolongation in the QRS and QTc intervals. Pediatric patients who have ingested CADs and present with seizures would appear to be at increased risk for having conduction delays, cardiac dysrhythmias, and, presumably, attendant morbidity and mortality associated with an ingestion.