ACUTE POISONINGS WITH ETHYLE LOFLAZEPATE, FLUNITRAZEPAM, PRAZEPAM ANDTRIAZOLAM IN CHILDREN

Even though acute poisonings with benzodiazepines are extremely common , less is known of the clinical toxicity of recent derivatives, partic ularly in children. 1,989 cases involving ethyle loflazepate, flunitra zepam, prazepam or triazolam recorded at the Lyons Poison Center and d ue to 1 compound and associated with clinical symptoms were selected f or study. Children less than 16-y of age accounted for 482 cases. Slee piness, agitation and ataxia were significantly more frequent in the c hildren. Hypotonia was seldom observed but was indicative of severe po isoning. The dangerous toxic dose of these compounds in children is su ggested to be 0.78-0.90 mg ethyle loflazepate/kg, 0.26-0.29 mg flunitr azepam/kg, 7.80-9.00 mg prazepam/kg and 0.06-0.07 mg triazolam/kg. The se results are in keeping with the relatively low acute toxicity of th e older benzodiazepines.