Research Article

Accidental and Deliberate Self-Poisoning with Medications and Medication Errors among Children in Rural Sri Lanka

Table 6

Profile of children who had poisoning by a caregiver/other person.

Case No.AgeSexMedicationCircumstance of poisoning

19/12FCefuroximeMistakenly given by her mother who was educated only up to grade five at school. She gave coconut milk to the child to induce vomiting, and fortunately, it was not aspirated. Her 20-year-old husband was employed as a driver and visited them monthly. They had not safely stored medicines and household chemicals at home
21FMethyl salicylateMistakenly given instead of cough syrup by her father. They had a safe storage facility at home for medicinal drugs, but poor attention was the immediate reason. Storing of the child’s medicines along with those of other family members resulted in accidental poisoning
3FCamphor oilMistakenly given instead of cough syrup by the grandmother. The mother was busy with her job during daytime, and the grandmother helped her in looking after the child. They had kept both camphor oil and the child’s medication bottles in the same shelf of the rack
43FParacetomolGiven 5 times the normal dose of paracetomol syrup by her 10-year-old sister. Both parents had been busy with agricultural work during daytime, and the elder child took care of her younger sibling at home
52MParacetomolGiven three times the normal dose for 24 hours by her mother during a febrile illness before seeking medical advice. They had poor knowledge and concern on toxic effects of higher doses and worried more about fever and subsequent risk of developing febrile convulsions
6FNifedipineErroneously issued by a local dispensary
79/12FClonazepamGiven instead of her cough medication mistakenly by the mother. Her five-year-old brother was on clonazepam for epilepsy, and both medicines were stored together in the same bottle
83MLindaneGiven, an organochloride scabicide to drink after dissolving in water, by the mother instead of local application. The child developed 3 convulsions before admission. The mother was not aware of to how to give the drugs though the instructions were appropriately written in English (not in local language)
9MParacetomolGiven by the mother following a viral fever. She was anxious and scared that the child will develop a febrile convulsion. The dose of paracetomol was decided by the mother herself
107MParacetomolGiven three times the weight appropriate dose of paracetomol (500 mg 6 hourly) mistakenly by the mother. The mother had not sought medical advice before prescription
112MParacetomolGiven two times the weight appropriate dose for five days after it being issued by a local OPD (out patients’ department) pharmacy. The mother was not aware that she was giving a higher dose of paracetomol to her child
126/12FSalbutamolGiven accidentally to drink by her 6-year-old elder sister. The medicine had been kept in the living room with easy access to the elder child, and parents had not been around the children at the time the incident took place. The mother was working during daytime, and all types of poisons (household, medicinal, and pesticides) were poorly stored at home
139MParacetomolGiven five times the weight appropriate dose for two days by the mother for viral fever. She did not have enough knowledge on deciding quantities based on weight. She had given paracetomol to him similarly several times previously
141MCamphor oilGiven instead of cough syrup at home by the grandmother. Both parents were employed and were not available at home during daytime. They have stored medicines and household chemicals together with both being poorly stored
15MHaloperidolGiven instead of cough syrup after it was erroneously issued by the local pharmacy. Parents did not notice the error until they sought further medical care for new onset drowsiness
16½MKerosene oilMistakenly given for abdominal pain by the grandmother instead of asamodagam (a traditional medicine). They had kept the “asamodagam” bottle in the same rack with kerosene oil