Unintended, accidental intakes of remedies from complementary and alternative medicine in children—Data analysis of Swiss Toxicological Information Centre

Introduction

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the German-speaking Switzerland is rather high. Therefore, the occurrence of unintended, accidental intakes of CAM-remedies by children and associated intoxications is likely.

Patients and methods

The inquiries to the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre regarding accidental drug poisonings with CAM-remedies of children <16 years of age were analyzed from 1998 until 2007. Inquiries for information were performed by public, physicians, pharmacists and others in case of acute accidental intake of CAM-remedies; feedbacks from physicians about paediatric patients with acute intoxication possibly associated with the unintended ingestion of CAM-remedies were as well considered.

Results

During the study period, a total number of 3436 cases (1081 herbal drugs and 2355 homeopathic drugs) of accidental intakes with remedies from CAM were reported, corresponding to 8.6% of all accidental intoxications with pharmaceutical products in children. No significant increase of the yearly number of accidental intakes of CAM-remedies was detected during the study period. Three cases of remedies-poisoning with herbal remedies were reported to be of moderate severity score and 28 cases of minor severity. Nine cases of intoxication with homeopathic remedies were reported, with minor symptoms only. There was no case of intoxication with any CAM-remedies associated with severe symptoms.

Conclusion

Unintended, accidental intakes of CAM-remedies by children did happen, but developed mostly harmlessly. Comparing herbal with homeopathic remedies, accidental intakes of homeopathic remedies were more common, but intoxications associated with symptoms were observed more frequently in the case of herbal remedies.

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.