Ipecac at Home-A Health Hazard?

Abstract

Syrup of ipecac is an excellent drug for the treatment of poisonings. It is universally recommended that ipecac be kept in homes where there are young children, but a risk/benefit analysis of this recommendation has never been performed. We report two cases of alkali ingestions in which ipecac syrup was inappropriately administered at home. These vignettes demonstrate the need to reexamine current policies of dispensing and distributing ipecac. Even though most families would probably benefit from having ipecac syrup at home, it must be questioned whether ipecac should be universally prescribed. Variables such as level of understanding, social disruption, and access to pharmacies and emergency rooms should be considered.