Pediatric ingestion of vilazodone compared to other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications

Abstract

Background: Unintentional ingestion of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications is common amongst children <6 years of age. Current evidence-based management guidelines are based on a low incidence of significant medical outcomes in these children.

Objective: To describe and compare outcomes of pediatric exposures to vilazodone with other SSRIs.

Methods: A retrospective observational case series analysis of both single and polysubstance SSRI exposures amongst children <6 years old reported to the National Poison Data System (NPDS).

Results: 11,384 SSRI exposures in children <6 years of age reported to NPDS between January 2012 and June 2016 were assessed. Vilazodone only accounted for 5.9% of all exposures, but resulted in the highest proportion of health care facility admission compared to other SSRIs, both in single substance (165 of 531 (31.1%); OR 9.0 [7.3–11.2]) and polysubstance (57 of 107 (53.3%); OR 4.1 [2.7–6.2]) exposures. Children exposed to vilazodone also have higher odds of experiencing a major or moderate outcome in single (134 of 531 (25.2%); OR 20.5 [15.5–27.1]) and polysubstance (37 of 107 (35.6%); OR 5.9 [3.7–9.0]) exposures compared to other SSRIs. Several severe clinical outcomes, such as seizure and coma, were more common among the vilazodone exposures.

Conclusions: Exposure to vilazodone in this age group results in an increased rate of hospitalization as well as more severe clinical effects as compared to other SSRIs. Current evidence-based SSRI exposure management guidelines may not be appropriate for the management of vilazodone ingestion in this age group.

Keywords:

• Vilazodone
• poisoning
• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
• toxicity
• children

Disclosure statement

The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Funding

No external funding for this article.