Over The Counter Cough & Cold Medication Making Children Sick

Fixed Drug Eruption Associated with Sulfonamides Sold in Latino Grocery Stores — Greater Washington, DC, Area, 2012

Patients, particularly Latino children, whose medical conditions resemble an adverse drug reaction, especially several severe skin disorders, may have been exposed to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), sulfonamide containing antibiotic, .that were sold over-the-counter in Latino groceries.

Two children in the greater Washington, DC, area were treated for an unusual skin disorder that is typically caused by an adverse reaction to a prescription medication. The families reported that the children had taken only over-the-counter cough and cold remedies obtained at Latino grocery stores. The medical team obtained bottles of the medication and learned that they were manufactured in El Salvador and that they carried TMP-SMX. In the United States,

TMP-SMX requires a prescription to be dispensed. Labels on the Salvadoran products indicated that two were intended for use solely in El Salvador and not all required a prescription. The medical team went to 19 Latino grocery stores in the DC area and found that seven carried Salvadoran TMP-SMX products for over-the-counter sales.