madinamerica
Peter Simons
August 28, 2018
[excerpt]
https://www.madinamerica.com/2018/08/large-increase-poison-control-calls-children-taking-adhd-drugs/New data shows that calls to US poison control centers have increased significantly for children taking stimulant ADHD drugs.New research published in the journal Pediatrics has found that calls to US poison control centers have increased significantly due to children taking ADHD stimulant medications, such as amphetamine (Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin). The research was led by Gary Smith at the Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
According to Smith, “In 2015, US poison control centers received >25800 calls involving exposures to amphetamine and methylphenidate, which are 2 medications used in the treatment of ADHD […] Stimulant medication overdoses can result in a variety of symptoms, including mydriasis, tremor, agitation, tachycardia, hyperreflexia, confusion, hallucinations, hyperthermia, and status epilepticus.â€
The number of reported children inadvertently exposed to stimulant medications rose 71.2% between 2000 and 2011, before dropping slightly by 6.2% between 2011 and 2014. The researchers found that almost half (41.6%) of the exposures were due to unintentional therapeutic error, while another 39.6% were rated as accidental general exposure.
