13-year-old boy tested positive for "drugs" twice in a row after having flu! Don't take this kind of drugs randomly!

This winter, respiratory infections continue to be prevalent, especially among children and adolescents. Coughing and fever are common symptoms of respiratory infections, but what worries parents is that many children suffer from symptoms for a long time after infection.

Recently, the news that a 13-year-old boy tested positive for drugs after suffering from influenza has attracted widespread attention.

Just a few days ago, a 13-year-old child in Zhejiang suddenly started talking nonsense. He kept saying that he was controlled by aliens, and then he said that the traffic lights on the road were monitoring him, taxis were following him, and he could hear aliens talking to him . Seeing this situation, his parents were very worried, so they took the child to the Affiliated Mental Health Center of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital) for inpatient treatment.

What is surprising is that the child tested positive for drugs twice in a row . The parents said that it is impossible for the child to touch these things.

01 Detailed medical history: The child drank 3 bottles of cough medicine in 3 days

After asking about the child's medical history, the doctor learned that the child had been diagnosed with influenza by the local hospital one week before the hospitalization due to high fever (39.6℃) and cough. In addition to prescribing influenza medicine, the doctor also prescribed symptomatic antipyretic drugs and cough syrup for the child to take.

At that time, due to the child's high fever, the anxious mother did not listen carefully to the doctor's instructions (3 times a day, 10 ml each time), and did not look at the emergency medical records afterwards. As a result, the mother gave the child 50 ml three times a day.

In 3 days, the child finished 3 bottles of cough syrup.

02Will cough medicine have a “drug-like” effect when taken?

Doctors say that some cough syrups and cold medicines used in daily life are ephedrine-based compound preparations .

Ephedrine, scientific name (1R, 2S)-2-methylamino-phenylpropan-1-ol, molecular formula C10H15NO, is an alkaloid, a drug for the nervous system. The chemical name of methamphetamine is methamphetamine, also known as "deoxyephedrine". The chemical structures of the two are very similar, and ephedrine is one of the main raw materials for making methamphetamine.

On the one hand, ephedrine-like substances can constrict blood vessels in the nasal cavity, reduce congestion of the nasal mucosa, relieve nasal congestion and runny nose, and can also cause bronchial dilation and have an anti-asthmatic effect. They are commonly used medicines for treating colds and coughs. On the other hand, they have the effects of stimulating the central nervous system, constricting blood vessels, and stimulating the heart, which can lead to anxiety and tension, insomnia, dizziness, headache, palpitations, etc.

Normal medicines contain trace amounts of ephedrine, which can be used to relieve clinical discomfort symptoms through its pharmacological effects, and short-term use of small amounts will not cause addiction. However, excessive use can cause poisoning or even addiction.

03Instruct patients in detail and strictly control drug sales

To reduce the risk of medication

Doctors should tell patients and their families in detail about the dosage of drugs. Children have high requirements for medication and safety cannot be ignored. Compared with adults, they often need to take a reduced dose, which is also a point that is easily overlooked. Doctors should tell patients, especially parents of children, in detail about the dosage of drugs. Instruct patients and their families to strictly follow the doctor's instructions and read the drug instructions in detail. Never act on your own and take excessive doses.

Medical institutions should strictly control the sale of drugs and do a good job of screening. At present, many places have made it clear that the purchase of compound preparations containing ephedrine requires "online registration" . Recently, the "Measures for the Implementation of the Anti-Drug Law of the People's Republic of China in Hunan Province" was passed and announced at the Sixth Session of the Standing Committee of the Fourteenth People's Congress of Hunan Province, and will be implemented on January 1, 2024.

It clearly states:

Pharmaceutical retail enterprises should strictly implement real-name registration , prescription management and other regulations for the purchasers and quantities of Class II psychotropic drugs, ephedrine-containing compound preparations and other drugs that are subject to relevant national restrictions. If any abnormal situation such as large-scale or multiple purchases is found, sales should be stopped immediately .

Medical institutions shall truthfully register the prescription, dispensing, use, destruction and disposal of narcotic drugs, psychotropic drugs, compound preparations containing ephedrine and other drugs that are subject to relevant restrictions by the state. If it is found that the drugs prescribed or dispensed exceed normal medical needs, the prescription and dispensing shall be stopped immediately .

Previously, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Tianjin and other places have made it clear that when consumers buy compound preparations containing ephedrine, they must cooperate with staff to enter relevant information and register online. Doctors and medical institutions should take responsibility and strictly control the use of drugs to avoid adverse reactions to patients.