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Dextromethorphan - Psychotropic drug in hands of children and adolescents

Publication at Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, First Faculty of Medicine |
2018

Abstract

Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a substance with increasing potential of abuse. Ordinary antitusic medicaments containing DXM used to be available without medical prescription in Czech Republic.

Therefore it was easy to obtain and abuse. Since 15th August 2018, the availability of monocomponent medicaments containing DXM in solid form changed due to a regulatory measure, which consists in the "only on medical prescription"mode.

It means that it cannot be sold over-the-counter anymore. We registered 5 cases of DXM abuse in pediatric patients hospitalized in Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital in Pilsen during the first 6 months of 2017.

We present one case of a serious deliberate intoxication in a child 11 years old in this article. The intoxication was with a mixture of substances in this case and DXM in a toxic dose was the most important component.

The increasing trend of DXM abuse in pediatric population is further discussed.