TY - JOUR
T1 - Metamizole use by Latino immigrants
T2 - a common and potentially harmful home remedy.
AU - Bonkowsky, Joshua L.
AU - Frazer, J. Kimble
AU - Buchi, Karen F.
AU - Byington, Carrie L.
N1 - Copyright:
This record is sourced from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
PY - 2002/6
Y1 - 2002/6
N2 - A 4-year-old boy presented with fever, septic arthritis, and persistent neutropenia. Bone marrow biopsy revealed no evidence of neoplasia. Additional history disclosed that the patient had been given metamizole for pain before onset of his illness. Metamizole, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent, is prohibited in the United States because of the risk of agranulocytosis but is widely used in Mexico and other countries. The increasing number of Latinos in the United States and the extensive cross-border transfer of medicines raise concerns that metamizole use and associated complications may become more frequent. After identification of the index patient, additional inquiry revealed that the patient's mother was hospitalized previously for overwhelming sepsis associated with metamizole use. These cases prompted an investigation of metamizole use in an urban pediatric clinic, which revealed that 35% of Spanish-speaking Latino families had used metamizole; 25% of these families had purchased the medication in the United States. We conclude that metamizole use is common and may be underrecognized in immigrant Latino patients. Physicians in the United States, especially those who practice primary care, hematology/oncology, and infectious diseases, must be aware of the availability and use of metamizole in specific patient populations and its potential for harmful side effects.
AB - A 4-year-old boy presented with fever, septic arthritis, and persistent neutropenia. Bone marrow biopsy revealed no evidence of neoplasia. Additional history disclosed that the patient had been given metamizole for pain before onset of his illness. Metamizole, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent, is prohibited in the United States because of the risk of agranulocytosis but is widely used in Mexico and other countries. The increasing number of Latinos in the United States and the extensive cross-border transfer of medicines raise concerns that metamizole use and associated complications may become more frequent. After identification of the index patient, additional inquiry revealed that the patient's mother was hospitalized previously for overwhelming sepsis associated with metamizole use. These cases prompted an investigation of metamizole use in an urban pediatric clinic, which revealed that 35% of Spanish-speaking Latino families had used metamizole; 25% of these families had purchased the medication in the United States. We conclude that metamizole use is common and may be underrecognized in immigrant Latino patients. Physicians in the United States, especially those who practice primary care, hematology/oncology, and infectious diseases, must be aware of the availability and use of metamizole in specific patient populations and its potential for harmful side effects.
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U2 - 10.1542/peds.109.6.e98
DO - 10.1542/peds.109.6.e98
M3 - Article
C2 - 12042592
AN - SCOPUS:0036595210
VL - 109
SP - e98
JO - Pediatrics
JF - Pediatrics
SN - 0031-4005
IS - 6
ER -