Ajeng Diantini, Mohammed Alfaqeeh, Lanny Indah Permatasari, Mirna Nurfitriani, Lela Durotulailah, Wening Wulandari, Truly Deti Rose Sitorus, Gofarana Wilar, Jutti Levita
{"title":"Clinical Toxicology of OTC Cough and Cold Pediatric Medications: A Narrative Review.","authors":"Ajeng Diantini, Mohammed Alfaqeeh, Lanny Indah Permatasari, Mirna Nurfitriani, Lela Durotulailah, Wening Wulandari, Truly Deti Rose Sitorus, Gofarana Wilar, Jutti Levita","doi":"10.2147/PHMT.S468314","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cough and cold symptoms (CCS) are common pediatric conditions often treated with over-the-counter (OTC) medications. However, the available knowledge regarding the safety and toxicity of these medications in children is inadequate. Therefore, understanding their clinical toxicology is crucial for safeguarding children's well-being. This narrative review highlights the importance of clinical toxicology in evaluating the safety and toxicity profile of OTC medications for treating CCS in pediatric patients. The pharmacology, clinical features, and adverse effects of various drug classes commonly found in cough and cold medications are briefly discussed. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters are also examined to understand the interactions between these drugs and the body. OTC cough and cold medications often contain active ingredients such as antihistamines, decongestants, antitussives, expectorants, and analgesics-antipyretics. The combination of multiple ingredients in these products significantly increases the risk of adverse effects and unintentional overdoses. Several case studies have reported significant toxicity and even fatalities associated with the use of these medications in children. This review underscores the critical importance of clinical toxicology in evaluating the safety and toxicity profile of OTC medications employed for treating CCS in pediatric patients. The findings highlight the significance of informed clinical practice and public health policies to ensure the well-being of children using OTC cough and cold medications.</p>","PeriodicalId":74410,"journal":{"name":"Pediatric health, medicine and therapeutics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11249067/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Pediatric health, medicine and therapeutics","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2147/PHMT.S468314","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PEDIATRICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Cough and cold symptoms (CCS) are common pediatric conditions often treated with over-the-counter (OTC) medications. However, the available knowledge regarding the safety and toxicity of these medications in children is inadequate. Therefore, understanding their clinical toxicology is crucial for safeguarding children's well-being. This narrative review highlights the importance of clinical toxicology in evaluating the safety and toxicity profile of OTC medications for treating CCS in pediatric patients. The pharmacology, clinical features, and adverse effects of various drug classes commonly found in cough and cold medications are briefly discussed. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters are also examined to understand the interactions between these drugs and the body. OTC cough and cold medications often contain active ingredients such as antihistamines, decongestants, antitussives, expectorants, and analgesics-antipyretics. The combination of multiple ingredients in these products significantly increases the risk of adverse effects and unintentional overdoses. Several case studies have reported significant toxicity and even fatalities associated with the use of these medications in children. This review underscores the critical importance of clinical toxicology in evaluating the safety and toxicity profile of OTC medications employed for treating CCS in pediatric patients. The findings highlight the significance of informed clinical practice and public health policies to ensure the well-being of children using OTC cough and cold medications.