Carboprost Exposure in a Newborn with Recovery

Abstract

Background: This case describes a newborn who was accidentally given carboprost (Hemabate®) 250 μg intramuscularly, the largest amount ever reported in a normal newborn. Case Report: A full-term newborn was inadvertently given carboprost rather than his prescribed hepatitis vaccine. Within 15 minutes, he was tachypneic and hypertensive followed by bronchospasms and dystonic movements and/or seizure activity of his upper extremities. He also was hyperthermic and had diarrhea stools. He recovered within 18 hours and was discharged. Conclusion: The manufacturer reports 2 infants who received lesser amounts and remained asymptomatic. This child exhibited symptoms associated with an overdose of a prostaglandin F_2a, although complete recovery occurred within 18 hours.