A SURVEY OF ADOLESCENTS KNOWLEDGE REGARDING TOXICITY OF OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATION

Objective: With prior research suggesting that up to 17% of adolescent s believe that acetaminophen (APAP) cannot cause death at any dose, th is study surveyed adolescents regarding their knowledge of over-the-co unter (OTC) medication toxicity. Methods: A convenience sample of 13- to 18-year-olds presenting to the acute care clinic or ED at 2 teachin g hospitals were given a survey requesting demographic data and inform ation regarding common OTC medications. The respondents were asked to identify those OTC medications found at home, those they thought poiso nous or lethal when taken in overdose, and those they thought contain alcohol. They also were asked to indicate whether they ever had made a suicidal overdose gesture. Results: There were 203 of 210 (96% respon se rate) surveys completed. Recognition of the potential for overdose lethality with specific OTC medications was limited: aspirin (63%), AP AP (57%), antihistamines (46%), iron (24%), camphor (22%), methyl sali cylate (21%), and bismuth subsalicylate (19%). Additionally, adolescen ts commonly believed many OTC medications generally considered nonleth al would be fatal in an overdose: ibuprofen (51%), decongestants (45%) , guaifenesin (29%), mouthwash (25%), kaolin-pectin (22%), antacids (2 1%), and vitamin C (12%). More than half of the respondents correctly identified agents that normally contain alcohol. Also, of the 5 respon dents who previously made suicidal gestures, 4 indicated the ingested item could kill them, reflecting serious intent. Conclusion: Surveyed adolescents possess poor knowledge of the lethal potential of OTC medi cations; the fact that many adolescents believe several of these OTC m edications are benign is concerning. Emergency physicians should adjus t their assessments of individual overdose patients' suicidal intents accordingly.