WATCH IT! Children also react to drugs

Medicines are meant to cure. They are meant to relieve symptoms and bring succor to the user. When used as directed by the physician, medicines can cure, slow the progress of, or prevent disease outright, thereby helping us to lead healthier and happier lives.

Experts in pharmacodynamics (the study of what a drug does to the body) warn that a child’s stage of development can alter the action of, and response to, a drug – whether for good or for bad.

Pharmacists warn that drugs are chemicals or substances that change the way our bodies work. “When you put them into your body – whether by swallowing, inhaling, or injecting them – drugs find their way into your bloodstream and are transported to parts of the body, such as the brain.

“In the brain, drugs may either intensify or dull the senses, alter your sense of alertness, and sometimes decrease physical pain,” scientists say.

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The World Health Organisation avers that the effects of medicines on users can also vary, depending on the differences in body size, shape, and chemistry.

Physicians say it is quite common for people to develop side effects after taking certain medications, even when prescribed by the doctor. That’s why it is wrong to use any drug based on another user’s testimony, says a General Practitioner, Dr. Cynthia Okereke.

“A drug may upset the digestive system when swallowed, causing nausea or diarrhoea. Or, it may cause an allergic reaction, triggering a rash, breathing problems or even a serious condition called anaphylactic shock, which is a medical emergency that involves several symptoms such as swelling of the throat and a sudden decline in blood pressure. Sometimes, a drug may affect a part of the body other than the one it’s intended for,” Okereke warns.

Experts note that the commonest medication usually administered on children of all ages is painkillers, a brand of which is paracetamol.

Scientists at the online portal, abc.net.au warn that “too much paracetamol can prove deadly, especially for children, as it could lead to liver failure and, in extreme cases, death.

A pharmacist, Johnson Agbaje, maintains that paracetamol remains one of the safest products for pain management, but that trouble only arises when people abuse it, or when a child that should be on syrup is given the tablet, even in reduced dosage.

Agbaje warns, “Part of what the problem is in our part of the world is that we tend to repeat the same drugs over and over. You’ll discover that when the doctor prescribes a drug and it helps in alleviating the symptoms, the average patient would go back to that drug if the symptoms that had disappeared suddenly reappear.

“Yet, the best thing to do when a symptom reappears is to return to the hospital, discuss the problem and show the drugs you have used. The doctor may decide to let you continue to use the same drug, or he may change it altogether for many reasons.”

Continuing, he adds, “In children and adults alike, normal recommended doses, if used repeatedly, could cause liver failure; and that’s why you don’t take it for granted that since the doctor prescribed a medication, it should be safe. Drugs are, technically, poison, and should be handled with care.”

The case of six-year-old girl, Williams, comes to mind here. As a result of the high blood pressure she had developed due to undiagnosed kidney disease, doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital placed her on anti-hypertensive drugs and multivitamins.

Her mother narrates, “It was a tablet which they asked me to split into four and we were giving her once daily. But anytime she took the drug, she would sit down looking dull, complaining of severe headache.” In short, that child would have died if the real symptom hadn’t been successfully diagnosed by a paediatrician, Dr. Sylvester Ikhiesemojie.

Researchers lament that medication errors are common among children younger than one year old, especially because parents who have children in that age range may be unfamiliar with the medications and they may overdose when giving their babies.

Such medications include syrups, tablets, capsules and caplets, and the medications sometimes include pain relievers such as ibuprofen, Tylenol, cough and cold medicine, as well as asthma medications.

Agbaje counsels that these days, most drugs come with caps that guide users in terms of measurement, while a literature detailing recommended dosage and likely side effects are also included in any drug pack.

“If you don’t know the dosage to administer, go back to your doctor or an accredited pharmacist who will guide you, based on your child’s age and body weight,” he advises.

He also warns those who may wish to source information from the internet concerning any medical conditions or drugs. “People should be careful of what they read on the internet. The web is a free-for-all space and you don’t know the qualification of whoever places information about anything.

“It is advisable to talk to a doctor in real world, instead of putting your life or that of your child on the line by believing everything you read out there,” Agbaje enthuses.

He also counsels parents against mixing their babies’ medications with foods or drinks in a bid to make the baby take the drug.

“This is because certain drugs don’t interact well with certain foods or drinks. As such, it is a lot safer to let your baby (and adults, too) take medications with water.

-Punch

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