Syrup of ipecac*1New guidelines from the AAP

Abstract

In November, 2003, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement entitled “Poison Treatment in the Home.” This policy statement recommended that syrup of ipecac no longer be routinely used in the home as a poison treatment strategy (AAP, 2003). Until that time, parents were urged to keep a one-ounce container of syrup of ipecac in the home in case of a poisonous ingestion, to be used after consulting with their primary care provider or the Poison Control Center. The AAP lists several reasons for advocating new recommendations for syrup of ipecac use within the home. Among the reasons were that there is no clear, consistent evidence that syrup of ipecac is helpful therapeutically after a poisonous ingestion and that the extensive availability of ipecac syrup increases the potential for misuse by adolescents with eating disorders and child caregivers involved with Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. It was also noted that emergency departments have discontinued the use of syrup of ipecac in favor of activated charcoal and that the use of syrup of ipecac may delay the use of activated charcoal because of continued vomiting (AAP, 2003).