Unintentional pediatric superwarfarin exposures: Do we really need a prothrombin time?

Objective. To determine whether routine follow-up coagulation studies are u seful in children with accidental exposures to rodenticides containing supe rwarfarin compounds. Design. Retrospective review of poison center charts involving pediatric su perwarfarin exposures occurring in two 2-year periods. Setting. An American Association of Poison Control Centers-certified region al poison control center with an annual call volume of 55 000 calls per yea r from a 2-state area with a combined population of 4 million people. Outcome Measures. Prothrombin times and/or international normalized ratios and reported clinical signs of excessive anticoagulation after exposure. Results. Of 542 children in 4 years of data collection, follow-up prothromb in times and/or international normalized ratios measurements did not detect any significant coagulation abnormalities. No child developed bleeding com plications. No child required or received antidotal treatment with vitamin K. Conclusion. Normal preschool-aged children with unintentional acute exposur es to superwarfarin rodenticides do not require any routine follow-up labor atory studies and do not require any medical intervention.