Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Mar 7;5(2):e13134.
doi: 10.1002/emp2.13134. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Acute opioid overdose in pediatric patients

Stephen Sandelich  1 , Gwen Hooley  2 , George Hsu  3 , Emily Rose  4 , Tim Ruttan  5 , Evan S Schwarz  6 , Erin Simon  7 , Carmen Sulton  8 , Jessica Wall  9 , Ann M Dietrich  10
Affiliations

Acute opioid overdose in pediatric patients

Stephen Sandelich et al. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. .

Abstract

Recent increases in pediatric and adolescent opioid fatalities mandate an urgent need for early consideration of possible opioid exposure and specific diagnostic and management strategies and interventions tailored to these unique populations. In contrast to adults, pediatric methods of exposure include accidental ingestions, prescription misuse, and household exposure. Early recognition, appropriate diagnostic evaluation, along with specialized treatment for opioid toxicity in this demographic are discussed. A key focus is on Naloxone, an essential medication for opioid intoxication, addressing its unique challenges in pediatric use. Unique pediatric considerations include recognition of accidental ingestions in our youngest population, critical social aspects including home safety and intentional exposure, and harm reduction strategies, mainly through Naloxone distribution and education on safe medication practices. It calls for a multifaceted approach, including creating pediatric-specific guidelines, to combat the opioid crisis among children and to work to lower morbidity and mortality from opioid overdoses.

Keywords: naloxone; opiate overdose; opioid epidemic; opioid‐related disorders; substance‐related disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Garofoli M. Adolescent substance abuse. Prim Care. 2020;47(2):383‐394. - PubMed
    1. Groenewald CB. Opioid‐prescribing patterns for pediatric patients in the United States. Clin J Pain. 2019;35(6):515‐520. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Levy S. Youth and the opioid epidemic. Pediatrics. 2019;143(2):e20182752. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Opioid Overdose: Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. 2022. Accessed 19 May, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html#:~:text=The%20number%20...
    1. Abudu B, Burton BN, Said ET, Wilkins YML, Brzenski A, Gabriel RA. A population‐based study of sociodemographic and clinical factors among children and adolescents with opioid overdose. J Clin Anesth. 2020;59:61‐66. - PubMed