The toxicology of common household medications ingested by children and adolescents

Over 1.4 million exposures reported to the American Association of Poison Centers in 1996 occurred in children under the age of nineteen. Analgesics and cough and cold preparations are the two most common groups of pharmaceutical agents reported. Studies have shown that teens are unable to correctly identify which over-the-counter remedies are potentially toxic. These facts, compounded by the wide availability of these medications, raise the level of concern for all physicians who interact with children and adolescents. This article discusses several commonly encountered medications: acetaminophen, salicylate, non-steroidal antiinflammatory agents, and anticholinergic preparations. Toxic properties and the approach to treatment are discussed so that clinicians may recognize a serious ingestion before the onset of morbidity and mortality can occur.