Toxicology, medical education, & more

Children and Laundry Detergent Packets Don't Mix

Davis and colleagues analyzed exposures to laundry and dishwasher detergents in two forms, packet and non-packet, in children under 6 years of age. (Pediatrics,May 2016) They identified 62,254 cases (in 2013 and 2014) reported to U.S. poison control centers of children under 6 exposed to these products via skin, eye, or ingestion . Nearly 60% of these detergent exposures were from packets and the study authors noted an increase specifically in laundry packet exposures over the course of the study. Not unexpectedly, children under 3 years of age made up the majority of the patients in this study (86%). Researchers found that there was not a significant difference in the odds of having serious medical outcomes or hospitalization between children exposed to dishwasher detergent packets and dishwasher non-packet products. However, the odds of children exposed to laundry detergent packets containing liquid were at twice the risk of those exposed to laundry packets containing granules of being admitted to a hospital. There were 104 children who were injured severely enough from laundry detergent packets that intubation was required and 2 children died following exposure to these packets. This study further relays safety concerns regarding liquid laundry detergent packets.

Even with the most child-friendly home, there is the risk for children getting into dangerous products. Children watch what we do and quickly learn how to gain access to things in cabinets and on shelves. Keeping detergents and other harmful household products out of reach and locked away are strategies to help keep young children safe from poisons. A third measure is to not have products with serious safety concerns in homes with young children.

"Toxicology 101" CLE Course

I recently spoke to attorneys at the Jenkins Law Library in Philadelphia about some principles of toxicology that can help them when reviewing cases related to drugs and alcohol. This is one of my favorite talks to give attorneys since it is a bread-and-butter toxicology lecture. Thank you to everyone who attended (including my friend and colleague, Jane Miloradovich, PharmD) and for some really great questions!

Sources of Drug Information: A Basic List for the Attorney

I recently gave a continuing legal education talk entitled “Medication Misadventures: 10 Tips for Attorneys”. The goal of the session was to provide tips to attorneys on how they can evaluate cases where a medication may have caused harm to a patient. Part of the presentation included a review of sources I recommend to attorneys for reliable and free drug information. The topic of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prescribing information came up and I discussed what it is useful for and what it is not. Thank you to two guest bloggers, Anshika Singh and Jabin Mathew, two Doctor of Pharmacy students (class of ‘17) from Jefferson School of Pharmacy, for addressing the usefulness of prescribing information for toxicology-related information.

"Medical Writers Speak" Podcast

Dr. Emma Hitt Nichols, CEO of Nascent Medical, has compiled interviews with medical writers about their careers, current work, and their specialties. She is a great interviewer, experienced medical writer, and savvy small businesswoman! I enjoyed doing an interview with Dr. Nichols as it gave me chance to reflect on my career choices and what I love about toxicology and medical writing.

Arsenic

Arsenic exists in two forms: inorganic and organic. The inorganic arsenic is the toxic form. Where is it found? Where is it not found? Read a recent post on arsenic in rice products for infants and children and watch an archived interview I did following Dr. Oz’s statement about arsenic in apple juice: