PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Seizures caused by children swallowing medications or illegal substances doubled over 15-year period

2024-10-15
(Press-News.org) Copenhagen, Denmark: New data shows that the number of children suffering a seizure after swallowing medications or illegal substances has doubled between 2009 and 2023 in the US. The findings were presented today (Wednesday) at the European Emergency Medicine Congress.

 

The most common substances involved in these poisonings include over-the-counter antihistamines, prescription antidepressants and painkillers, and illegal synthetic cannabinoids.

 

Dr Conner McDonald from the University of Virginia School of Medicine told the Congress: “Seizure is one of the most severe symptoms a poisoned patient can experience, and children are particularly vulnerable. Depending on variables such as where a seizure happens, how long it continues and the pre-existing health of the child, seizures can lead to long-term damage or even death.”

 

Working with Professor Christopher Holstege, Chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and colleagues, Dr Farah gathered data from the US National Poison Data System on seizures in children and teenagers (under the age of 20 years) that resulted from exposure to any single substance between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2023.

 

The National Poison Data System brings together information from the 55 poison centres across the US. These centres are consulted in the most serious cases of poisoning, including poisoning in children that results in seizure.

 

The researchers analysed the data according to the children’s ages and the substance they had consumed. Overall, they found that cases had increased from 1,418 in 2009 to 2,749 in 2023, corresponding with an average yearly increase of five per cent.

 

Among children aged between six and 19 years, the number of cases had doubled over the 15-year period. In children under six years, there was a 45% increase in cases over the 15-year period.

 

The substances responsible for most of this increase include diphenhydramine (an over-the-counter antihistamine commonly used for allergies, hay fever and nasal congestions), tramadol (an opioid prescribed for pain in adults), bupropion (an antidepressant prescribed for adults and children), and synthetic cannabinoids known as K2 or spice (illegal substances that are man-made and chemically similar to substances found in the cannabis plant).

 

Dr McDonald explained: “Diphenhydramine can be purchased in the United States in bottles containing 500 or 600 tablets. Bupropion is being more frequently prescribed to treat depression in adults and children. Other legal and illegal drugs can be bought online and shipped around the world. Therefore, these drugs are becoming more available in homes and within the reach of children.”

 

Speaking before the Congress, Professor Holstege said: “The increase in seizures in children exposed to these drugs is extremely worrying and must be addressed. It’s a stark reminder to parents and carers to store medications safely so that children cannot get hold of them.

 

“In the US, we also need to have a serious discussion on whether products like diphenhydramine should be sold in containers with such large quantities of pills and whether these products should be contained within blister packs to make it more difficult for children and suicidal individuals to gain access to such a large quantity.”

 

Dr Barbra Backus is chair of the EUSEM abstract selection committee. She is an emergency physician in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and was not involved with the research. She said: “The increase in drug poisoning among children is worrysome. Although these data are for the US, we know that drugs are the most common sources of poisoning in children around the world. It is important that we keep looking for safer distribution and storage of medication. Blister packs and child-resistant pill bottles can help, but all drugs, whether they are over the counter, prescribed, or illegal should be kept out of reach or locked away where children cannot access them.

 

“No parent or carer ever wants to see their child suffer a drug-induced seizure, especially when it could have been prevented.”

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Increase in air pollution corresponds with more patients at the hospital emergency department

2024-10-15
Copenhagen, Denmark: Increases in levels of particulate matter in the air, even within World Health Organization guidelines, correspond with an increase in the number of patients going to the hospital emergency department, according to research presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress today (Wednesday).   The study found links particularly between air pollution and cases of trauma, breathing difficulties and skin conditions.   The research was presented by Dr Andrea Rossetto an emergency medicine resident at University of Florence and Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy, and a PhD Student at Queen Mary University of London, UK.   Dr ...

NASA, NOAA: Sun reaches maximum phase in 11-year solar cycle

NASA, NOAA: Sun reaches maximum phase in 11-year solar cycle
2024-10-15
In a teleconference with reporters on Tuesday, representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year. The solar cycle is a natural cycle the Sun goes through as it transitions between low and high magnetic activity. Roughly every 11 years, at the height of the solar cycle, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip — on Earth, that’d be like the ...

Scientists at ChristianaCare gene editing institute use CRISPR tools to safely disable gene mutation linked to treatment-resistant melanoma

2024-10-15
Scientists at ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute Use CRISPR Tools to Safely Disable Gene Mutation Linked to Treatment-Resistant Melanoma   Study finds CRISPR restores the ability for cancer treatments to attack melanoma cancer cells with precision-guided gene edit that ignores healthy cells   Wilmington, DE, OCTOBER 15, 2024  -- In a potential advance for melanoma patients, researchers at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute have used CRISPR gene editing ...

Study busts myths about cause of gout

2024-10-15
A major international study has found gout is a chronic illness where genetics is a major cause, rather than lifestyle choices of the sufferer.   Led by University of Otago researchers, the genome-wide association study, published in Nature Genetics, analysed the genetic information of 2.6 million people.   Researchers analysed amalgamated DNA data sets from around the world. About three quarters of the data was from customers of 23andMe, Inc, a direct-to-consumer genetics and preventative health company, who consented to participate in research.   They found inherited genetics is an important part ...

Machine learning analysis sheds light on who benefits from protected bike lanes

2024-10-15
A new analysis from University of Toronto Engineering researchers leverages machine learning to help answer a thorny question: where should new protected bike lanes be placed to provide maximum benefit?  “Right now, some people have really good access to protected biking infrastructure: they can bike to work, to the grocery store or to entertainment venues,” says Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering and lead author of a new paper published in the Journal of Transport Geography.  “More ...

New research reveals how large-scale adoption of electric vehicles can improve air quality and human health

2024-10-15
A new study from the University of Toronto's Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits.  The research team used computer simulations to show that aggressive electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, coupled with an ambitious rollout of renewable electricity generation, could result in health benefits worth between US$84 billion and 188 billion by 2050.  Even scenarios with less aggressive grid decarbonization mostly predicted health benefits running into the tens of billions of dollars.  “When ...

Florida Inventors Hall of Fame invites nominations for 2025 inductees

Florida Inventors Hall of Fame invites nominations for 2025 inductees
2024-10-15
TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2024) -- The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is inviting nominations for the 2025 class of inductees. This award recognizes distinguished inventors with a connection to Florida, whose achievements have advanced quality of life for the state and the nation. “Inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame represent some of our nation’s greatest inventors from across academia, industry and government,” said Paul Sanberg, chair of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Advisory Board and president of the National Academy of Inventors. “Their achievements underscore the critical role that innovation plays in driving ...

Election officials can boost voter trust in delayed results with early communication

2024-10-15
  In recent U.S. elections, results often took days to finalize, fueling voter distrust in the electoral process and ballot outcomes. Now, research from the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research at UC San Diego shows that a simple, proactive message from election officials – ahead of Election Night – can effectively reduce this distrust. The study, published in PNAS Nexus, reveals that when voters are informed in advance that counting ballots accurately takes time and there are security measures in place, their trust in the process remains steady, even when results are delayed. “Election officials ...

Rice-led research will leverage responsible AI to enhance coastal communities’ severe storm response

2024-10-15
HOUSTON – (Oct. 15, 2024) – An interdisciplinary team of Rice University engineers and collaborators led by Jamie Padgett has won $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve the safety and resiliency of coastal communities facing compounded risk from hazardous weather events. Padgett, together with Ben Hu and Avantika Gori at Rice, David Retchless at Texas A&M University at Galveston and community partners, will leverage responsible artificial intelligence (AI), hazard and resilience models ...

Honey bees in demand: New contract strategies to support pollination services

Honey bees in demand: New contract strategies to support pollination services
2024-10-15
URBANA, Ill. — As the world’s native bee populations are declining, crop production requiring pollinators increasingly relies on commercial pollination services. In the U.S., the beekeeping industry is in great demand, and truckloads of bee colonies travel the country to accommodate crop growers. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at pollination contracts between beekeepers and California almond growers, exploring clauses that could make the agreements more appealing for both parties. “There's about 1.3 million acres of almond trees ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Call for papers: 14th Asia-Pacific Conference on Transportation and the Environment (APTE 2025)

A novel disturbance rejection optimal guidance method for enhancing precision landing performance of reusable rockets

New scan method unveils lung function secrets

Searching for hidden medieval stories from the island of the Sagas

Breakthrough study reveals bumetanide treatment restores early social communication in fragile X syndrome mouse model

Neuroscience leader reveals oxytocin's crucial role beyond the 'love hormone' label

Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year

Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes

Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome

New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away

Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms

Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers

Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity

Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued

Unraveling the power and influence of language

Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice

TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies

Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light

Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription

Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems

Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function

Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire

Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality

Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology

'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds

Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization

New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease

Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US

Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility

Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity

[Press-News.org] Seizures caused by children swallowing medications or illegal substances doubled over 15-year period