A Candy-Induced Coma: A Case of Accidental Pediatric Intoxication with THC and HHC
EUSEM 2026 EUROPEAN EMERGENCY MEDICINE CONGRESS, Paris, Fransa, 23 - 27 Eylül 2026, (Yayınlanmadı)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Yayınlanmadı
- Basıldığı Şehir: Paris
- Basıldığı Ülke: Fransa
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Title: A Candy-Induced Coma: A Case of
Accidental Pediatric Intoxication with THC and HHC
Background: Synthetic cannabinoids are potent
psychoactive substances that can cause severe neurological depression,
particularly in the pediatric population. Recently, accidental pediatric
exposures have significantly increased due to the availability of these
substances in appealing edible forms, such as candies. Here, we present a
pediatric case of severe altered mental status where the underlying etiology
was uncovered through meticulous clinical deduction and targeted anamnesis.
Case
Presentation: A
previously healthy 6-year-old girl was brought to the pediatric emergency
department with altered mental status, having been unarousable since falling
asleep the previous evening. The patient
was unresponsive to verbal and painful stimuli, although spontaneous breathing
and bilateral pupillary light reflexes were intact. Vital signs were within
normal limits for her age. On physical examination, we found no abnormal
findings other than a GCS score of 9. Point-of-care glucose was 95 mg/dL. The preliminary history obtained from
the family revealed no toxic exposure or suspected substance ingestion.
Initial laboratory tests, cranial computed tomography, and diffusion magnetic
resonance imaging were normal, despite persistent altered consciousness.
Subsequently, a toxicological analysis revealed cannabinoid positivity.
A more detailed history later uncovered that the child had accidentally
consumed an uncle’s candy
containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) approximately
three hours before symptom onset (17 pieces, each containing 25 mg of HHC). The
patient was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit for close monitoring
and supportive therapy. After 72 hours of follow-up, the patient recovered with
full consciousness.
Conclusion: To our knowledge, the dosage
described in this report surpasses all previously documented cases of THC
intoxication in children, underscoring the evolving challenges in managing
extreme pediatric exposures. As the availability of synthetic cannabinoid
products continues to rise, deepening the anamnesis in unresponsive pediatric
patients will help avoid unnecessary and expensive diagnostic investigations.