2021 Volume 35 Issue 5 Pages 415-418
Background: Recently, misuse of adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) for anaphylaxis has been reported. To prevent such accidents, we assessed the characteristics of 9 cases with misuse of AAIs.
Method: We retrospectively examined electronic medical records of pediatric patients who were prescribed AAIs at our hospital from February 2012 to January 2021.
Results: 1,333 AAIs in 246 patients were prescribed during the period. 9 cases of misuse of AAIs were detected. Except for 1 case with the mother unintentionally misusing the AAI to her child with anaphylaxis, 8 cases of unintentional misuse were done by children. They were all male and the median age was 6.5. Two cases were the same patient with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and there was 1 case of a 3-year-old boy with suspected ADHD. Four cases were unintentional misinjections into their body, but they were untreated and had no serious adverse events.
Conclusion: Unintentional misuse of AAIs is likely to occur in school-age boys who are less self-inhibited and children with ADHD. Pediatricians should pay attention to the patient's developmental characteristics, and moreover, place more weight on teaching about the precautions in managing the AAI to patients who are less self-inhibited.
