ACUTE ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSAGE OF HALOPERIDOL IN CHILDREN

We report the details of an accidental overdosage of haloperidol in 24 children in one hospital in Kyushu, Japan. Evidence of acute toxicity included disturbances in consciousness (24/24), tremors in the extrem ities (16/24), an oculogyric or similar crisis (14/24), dysarthria (9/ 17), drooling (8/24), akathisia (6/20), hyperreflexia (6/24) and opist hotonos (3/24). Laboratory examinations revealed late-onset transient thrombocytosis (5/24), elevated AST and GPT (1/24) and abnormal ECG wi th prolonged QT interval in 2 of 8 children. We detected haloperidol i n 11 of 18 children whose blood was specifically examined within four days after the final haloperidol administration. The maximum serum hal operidol level was 28.9 ng/ml. The mean half-life of haloperidol in th e serum of five children (age range 2-10 years) was 18.6 +/- 12.2 h (m ean +/- SD) (range 9.1-39.4 h).