About 40% of all poisonings of children under the age of 6 are drugs.
Children can take the adult medication in an effort to imitate their parents by taking the medication for candy, or by taking an interest in the beautiful appearance of the pills or packaging. To reduce the risk of drug poisoning in children, it is recommended to keep in the house only the minimum necessary medication, and all of them should be kept as far away from the baby as possible.
In 2018, the journal Clinical Drug Investigation published an updated list of drugs, the intake of which is the amount of only one tablet of adult dosage can be fatal for young children. Compared to 2004, the number of drugs on this list has almost doubled.
• Antidepressants: amitriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, venlafaxine.
• Antipsychotics: loxapine, thioridazine, chlorpromazine, ziprasidone, clozapine.
• Antimalarial drugs: chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, quinine.
• Antiarrhythmics: quinidine, disopyramide, procainamide, flecainide, ivabradine, propafenone.
• Calcium channel blockers: nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem.
• Opioids: codeine, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, tramadol, oxycodone, fentanyl, buprenorphine.
• Sugar-lowering drugs: chlorpropamide, glyburide, glipizide, repaglinide, glimepiride, sitagliptin.
• Antiplatelets and anticoagulants: ticagrelor, prasugrel, clopidogrel, rivaroxaban, dabigatran.
• Antiepileptic drugs: gabapentin, pregabalin, lamotrigine.
• Drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: Dulfampridine, Fingolimod.
• Others: imidazoline, theophylline, sildenafil, camphor, methyl salicylate, podophyllin.
