Medication Safe - Dr. Ben Tsutaoka

The American Association of Poison Control Centers collects data transmitted to them through 61 poison control centers located throughout the Nation. The report is called, the Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poisoning and Exposure Database.

The 2005 data was published in the Journal-Clinical Toxicology 44:803-932, 2006.

From the 2005 data:
There were 1,233,695 total exposures in children less than or equal to 5 years old. Of these, about 35% involved both prescription and non-prescription medications.
In this group there were 24 reported fatalities.
Fourteen of the deaths were related to medications (one from a non-prescription medication and 13 from prescription medications).

These data highlight the fact that the most dangerous ingestions in children are those in which prescription medications are involved. You need a way to be CERTAIN that your child will not be able to get into medications. You also need to be certain that they will not get into medications at the home of your elderly relatives since: “The average number of prescriptions per elderly person grew from 19.6in 1992 to 28.5 in 2000, an increase of 45 percent. By 2010, the average number of prescriptions per elderly person is projected to grow to 38.5, an increase of 10 prescriptions, or 35 percent, per senior since 2000.”

 We need to explore ways to poison proof homes so that you know you have done everything possible to keep your child safe from the dangers of poisoning.