© 2002 Archives of Disease in Childhood
LEADING ARTICLE
Poisoning
Poisoning in children 2: Painkillers
1 Department of Pediatrics, Yale University Medical School, USA
2 Department of General Paediatrics, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
3 Accident and Emergency Department, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, UK
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr K Berry, Accident and Emergency Department, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham B4 6NH, UK;
kathleen.berry@bhamchildrens.wmids.nhs.uk
Painkillers and antipyretics are the largest group of toxins encountered by children
Keywords: poisoning; analgesic
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
In this, the second of a series of articles on the management of poisoning, we deal with the largest group of toxins encountered by children—painkillers and antipyretics.
Children are more resistant to paracetamol induced liver damage than adults.1 Chronic overdosage is more likely to result in harm than the acute effects of ingestion. Special care should be taken with children who are malnourished or on cytochrome P450 enzyme inducing drugs.
Toxic paracetamol concentrations associated with the accidental ingestion of paracetamol suspension are extremely rare. A careful history can often obviate the need for investigation or treatment. The volume, and paracetamol concentration, of the formulation should be established from the packaging. The volume remaining should be measured. No allowance should be made for spillage during the course of the accident or poor parental recall as to the amount remaining in the bottle prior to ingestion. In this way, the maximum
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