<div>19. INCIDENCE OF GRANDPARENT’S ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC MEDICATIONS AS A SOURCE OF</div><div>PEDIATRIC INGESTIONS</div><div>Alsop JA, Welch RA. California Poison Control System—Sacramento, Sacramento, California, USA.</div><div>
Background: The incidence of diabetes is 12.1% in people aged 45–64 yrs and 21.6% in ages 65–74 yrs. Diabetic control</div><div>is maintained with oral medications in 49% of patients. We observed that many pediatric calls about exposures to oral</div>
<div>hypoglycemic agents involved children having access to grandparent’s medications. We selected to study the frequency of</div><div>this occurrence. Method: All ingestions of oral hypoglycemics agents in children under age 6 years reported to CPCS in</div>
<div>the year 2001were examined to determine the source of the exposure. Results: A total of 335 pediatric oral hypoglycemic</div><div>ingestions were reported. A grandparent’s medication was mentioned in 155 cases (46.3%). Demographics: male 55%,</div>
<div>female 45%, average age 20 mos. The primary oral hypoglycemic agents involved were glyburide 26%, metformin</div><div>22.6%, glipizide 18.6%. Exposure scenarios included children opening the original medication containers 53.6%,</div>
<div>opening days-of-the-week pill dispensers 18.7%, meds left in reach on counter or table 13.5%, tablets that had fallen to</div><div>the floor 12.3%, tablets stored in a purse 1.3%, or tablets stored in a baggie 0.6%. In 45% of cases, the exposure involved</div>
<div>multiple medications that were sometimes more dangerous than the oral hypoglycemic agent. Exposures were treated at a</div><div>HCF 78%, at home 17%, and unknown 5%. Cases followed to a known outcome: no effect 58.7%, minor 5.8%, moderate</div>
<div>14.2%, unrelated 3.9%. Conclusions: In this review, pediatric ingestions of oral hypoglycemic medications were a result</div><div>of children obtaining their grandparent’s medications in 46.3% of cases. In 45% of those cases, children were also</div>
<div>exposed to multiple other potentially dangerous medications. Proper storage of grandparent’s medications may prevent</div><div>some pediatric poisonings.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Stevan Gressitt, M.D.<br>
Faculty Associate, University of Maine Center on Aging<br>Academic Member, Athens Institute for Education and Research</div>
<div>Athens, Greece</div>
<div>Founding Director, International Institute for Pharmaceutical Safety<br>University of New England, College of Pharmacy<br>Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences <br>Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry<br>University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine<br>
716 Stevens Avenue <br>Portland, Maine 04103<br><a href="mailto:gressitt@gmail.com" target="_blank">gressitt@gmail.com</a> <br>Cell: 207-441-0291 </div>
<div><a href="http://www.benzos.une.edu/" target="_blank">www.benzos.une.edu</a> </div>
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