Self-Injury with Carbamazepine Intoxication in an Elementary School-Aged Child

Carbamazepine is a common anticonvulsant medication used to treat seizure disorders and is generally considered a safe medication. We describe the case of a 9-year-old female who presented with acute altered mental status and respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. She was found to be...

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Main Authors: Andrew Shieh, Natalie Schellpfeffer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Pediatrics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5135456
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author Andrew Shieh
Natalie Schellpfeffer
author_facet Andrew Shieh
Natalie Schellpfeffer
author_sort Andrew Shieh
collection DOAJ
description Carbamazepine is a common anticonvulsant medication used to treat seizure disorders and is generally considered a safe medication. We describe the case of a 9-year-old female who presented with acute altered mental status and respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. She was found to be intoxicated with carbamazepine through a urine drug test which was confirmed by bloodwork. After her medical condition improved, the patient admitted to self-injury through ingestion to cope with the death of a family member. She received a complete psychiatric assessment and was eventually discharged without permanent neurologic sequelae. To our knowledge, this is the first case of intentional self-injury with carbamazepine intoxication in an elementary school-aged child. When intoxication is suspected in children presenting with altered mental status, all medications available at home should be investigated. Preadolescent children may engage in nonfatal self-injury behavior, and diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion.
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spelling doaj-art-8244ad3bcb5e4678a6e151d820119b0c2025-08-20T03:37:57ZengWileyCase Reports in Pediatrics2090-68112022-01-01202210.1155/2022/5135456Self-Injury with Carbamazepine Intoxication in an Elementary School-Aged ChildAndrew Shieh0Natalie Schellpfeffer1Department of Emergency MedicineDepartment of Emergency MedicineCarbamazepine is a common anticonvulsant medication used to treat seizure disorders and is generally considered a safe medication. We describe the case of a 9-year-old female who presented with acute altered mental status and respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. She was found to be intoxicated with carbamazepine through a urine drug test which was confirmed by bloodwork. After her medical condition improved, the patient admitted to self-injury through ingestion to cope with the death of a family member. She received a complete psychiatric assessment and was eventually discharged without permanent neurologic sequelae. To our knowledge, this is the first case of intentional self-injury with carbamazepine intoxication in an elementary school-aged child. When intoxication is suspected in children presenting with altered mental status, all medications available at home should be investigated. Preadolescent children may engage in nonfatal self-injury behavior, and diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5135456
spellingShingle Andrew Shieh
Natalie Schellpfeffer
Self-Injury with Carbamazepine Intoxication in an Elementary School-Aged Child
Case Reports in Pediatrics
title Self-Injury with Carbamazepine Intoxication in an Elementary School-Aged Child
title_full Self-Injury with Carbamazepine Intoxication in an Elementary School-Aged Child
title_fullStr Self-Injury with Carbamazepine Intoxication in an Elementary School-Aged Child
title_full_unstemmed Self-Injury with Carbamazepine Intoxication in an Elementary School-Aged Child
title_short Self-Injury with Carbamazepine Intoxication in an Elementary School-Aged Child
title_sort self injury with carbamazepine intoxication in an elementary school aged child
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5135456
work_keys_str_mv AT andrewshieh selfinjurywithcarbamazepineintoxicationinanelementaryschoolagedchild
AT natalieschellpfeffer selfinjurywithcarbamazepineintoxicationinanelementaryschoolagedchild