A Cross Sectional Study on Pediatric Methadone Poisoning in Northeast of Iran

Introduction: Methadone is a product derived from heroin that is available in drug stores as a 1mg/ml syrup. Methadone is a long acting drug with a roughly 24-hour half-life . Poisoning from opiates is one of the most dangerous and prevalent causes of poisoning in Imam Reza hospital (North- East of Iran), and its pattern has changed in the form of increased poisoning from methadone in recent years. The goal of this study is to evaluate why methadone poisoning in children under 6 years old have been increasing in recent yearsMethods: This cross-sectional study was done on all children referred to Imam Reza Hospital’s pediatric emergency room for cause and agent of poisoning during 2015, to identify the number and the most common cause of poisoning; evaluated demographic data showed methadone poisoning as the most common cause of accidental poisoning in children.Results: In one year 3395 child admitted in the pediatric emergency room, including 409 cases (12%) of intoxication; 256 of these cases had different opium poisoning (62.5%) and 69 cases (16.8%) had methadone poisoning. In methadone poisoning 39 cases were male and 30 female. 25-48 months and 4-24 months age groups had the most cases of methadone poisoning, respectively.Conclusion: In the emergency center the most common poisoning is opioid compounds especially methadone, likely due to the availability of methadone syrup in pharmacies. Parents use methadone to give up addiction. Poisoning occurred because children like to open bottles and accidentally consume its contents.