Pattern of thiazolidinedione exposures reported to Texas poison centers during 1998-2004.

Information on the management of potentially adverse exposures to thiazolidinediones, a class of oral antihyperglycemic, is limited. This study examined the distribution of thiazolidinedione exposures reported to Texas poison control centers from 1998 through 2004. There were a total of 581 exposures reported, increasing from 31 in 1998 to 140 in 2004. Of the 286 exposures to thiazolidinediones alone, 60% involved patients age 5 yr or younger and 34% patients age 20 yr or greater. Fifty-four percent of the patients were female. The exposure was unintentional in 94% of the exposures, with therapeutic errors accounting for 26% of the exposures reported. Management of 61% of the exposures occurred on site and 39% at a health care facility. Of those exposures with a final medical outcome, 94% were classified as no effect and no cases with major effects or deaths were reported. An adverse clinical effect was reported for 7% of the exposures, the most frequent of which were hypoglycemia (2%), hyperglycemia (1%), and drowsiness (1%). A treatment was reported for 76% of the exposures. The most frequent treatments were decontamination by being given some sort of food (38%), dilution with substances such as milk (34%), and activated charcoal (20%). In conclusion, this study found that the number of reported potentially adverse thiazolidinedione exposures in Texas increased in recent years. Such exposures generally found few adverse clinical effects and were reversible, although some sort of treatment, particularly decontamination, was administered and a large proportion of exposures were managed at or referred to health care facilities.