Inadvertent methamphetamine poisoning in pediatric patients

With the increase in popularity of adult methamphetamine abuse in the state of Arizona, there has been an increase in the number of pediatric admissions from inadvertent methamphetamine poisoning. This report describes the signs and symptoms and the hospital course of pediatric patients inadvertently poisoned with methamphetamine. A nine-year retrospective chart review identified 18 pediatric patients poisoned only with methamphetamine. This review revealed that pediatric patients with methamphetamine poisoning commonly presented with the following signs and symptoms: tachycardia (18 patients), agitation (nine patients), inconsolable crying and irritability (six patients), and vomiting (six patients). The most common ancillary tests, excluding urine drug screens, used in formulating the diagnosis were computed tomography scans of the head (five patients) and lumbar punctures (three patients). Three patients received Centruroides sculpturatus antivenin intravenously. The most common complication of methamphetamine poisoning was rhabdomyolysis (two patients), and the average hospital stay for all patients was three days. This case series demonstrates that pediatric patients who ingest methamphetamine can present with signs and symptoms similar to those of an abdominal or neurologic pediatric emergency.