Overdose in young children treated with anti-reflux medications: Poisons enquiry evidence of excess 10-fold dosing errors with ranitidine.

BACKGROUND: Accidental drug overdose is a common problem in young children. We examined the influence of formulation and dose in enquiries for different gastro-oesophageal reflux disease treatments in children under 5 years to the UK's National Poisons Information Service. METHODS: Overdose characteristics with ranitidine, omeprazole or domperidone were compared with those of metoclopramide and the H-1 antagonist chlorphenamine, for the period 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2015. RESULTS: There were a total of 1092 ranitidine, 618 domperidone and 1193 omeprazole cases; 669, 281 and 424, respectively, were single agent enquiries; of these 77% (517) of ranitidine, 52% (145) domperidone and 32% (135) omeprazole cases occurred in children <5 years. In comparison, 17% (34/424) of metoclopramide and 53% (533/1013) of chlorphenamine were <5 years; 79% (410/517) of ranitidine overdose enquiries in children <5 years were under 6 months of age, higher than domperidone (68/145, 47%; p < 0.05), omeprazole (8/135, 6%), chlorphenamine (13/553, 2%) or metoclopramide (1/34, 3%) (all p < 0.01). In children aged <6 months, 101 were 10-fold overdoses, 86 with ranitidine. CONCLUSIONS: Tenfold overdoses in children (<5 years) were a feature of ranitidine enquiries, likely due to the high concentration of the syrup. This has relevance to other liquid formulations used for non-licenced indications in young children. Such therapeutic errors cause significant carer anxiety and healthcare utilization. Assistance is needed from manufacturers and legislators in modifying formulation so that drugs can be safely used in young children. Education of prescribers and carers is also needed to reduce the incidence of such errors that cause significant carer anxiety and healthcare utilization.

Pattern of proton pump inhibitor calls to Texas poison centers, 1998-2004.

There is little information on the management of potentially adverse exposures to proton pump inhibitors. This study examined the distribution of 2943 proton pump inhibitor exposures reported to Texas poison control centers during 1998-2004. In particular comparisons were made between exposures among pediatric (age < or =5 yr) and adult (age > or =20 yr) patients. Of the total exposures, 1813 (62%) were to the proton pump inhibitor alone. Of exposures to proton pump inhibitors alone, 66% were age < or =5 yr, 7% 6-19 yr, and 27% > or =20 yr. Pediatric and adult patients differed with respect to patient gender, exposure reason, exposure site, management site, final medical outcome, report of specific adverse clinical exposures, and listed treatments. Proton pump inhibitor exposures differed with patient age. In the majority of instances, potentially adverse proton pump inhibitor exposures reported to poison control centers may be successfully managed at home with favorable outcome.

Omeprazole overdose.

The clinical features and pharmacokinetics of omeprazole in overdose have not previously been described. We report 2 cases. The major clinical features were flushing, tachycardia and headache. Omeprazole pharmacokinetics remained unchanged in overdose.