OBJECTIVE:

To analyze cyproheptadine poisoning cases from 2007 to 2015 in children between 1 to 12 years old, registered in the Toxicological Information Center database in Belém, Pará State, Brazil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Descriptive and retrospective study of poisoning cases in children from the Belém Toxicological Information Center. All poisonings caused by vitamin-associated cyproheptadine formulas from 2007 to 2015 were considered. The following variables were analyzed: gender, age, month, years, zone, time elapsed from exposure, signs, symptoms, and evolution of the cases. Epi InfoTMv6.6 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS:

Of the 1,719 cases of drug poisoning, 60 (3.5%) were caused by cyproheptadine in the study age group. The most affected groups were the male gender (75.0%) and the age group of 1 to 4 years old (80.0%). The cases occurred mainly in the urban area (96.7%), with the time between the accident and the attendance of 1 to 5 h (38.3%). The most frequent symptoms were agitation, drowsiness, and mental confusion.

CONCLUSION:

The circumstances of the cases were mainly due to accidental ingestion of more than the recommended amount, which mostly evolved to cure. These data serve to alert healthcare professionals about the use of appetite stimulants such as cyproheptadine.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in English | Portuguese | Spanish     · English ( pdf ) | Spanish ( pdf ) | Portuguese ( pdf )