From the Journals

COVID-19: Hand sanitizer poisonings soar, psych patients at high risk


 

An increase in self-harm

Weighing in on this issue, Robert Bassett, DO, associate medical director of the Poison Control Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said in an interview that “cleaning agents and disinfectants have been around for eons and their potential for toxicity hasn’t changed.

“Now with COVID, and this hypervigilance when it comes to cleanliness, there is increased access and the exposure risk has gone up,” he said.

“One of the sad casualties of an overstressed health care system and a globally depressed environment is worsening behavioral health emergencies and, as part of that, the risk of self-harm goes up,” Dr. Bassett added.

“The consensus is that there has been an exacerbation of behavioral health emergencies and behavioral health needs since COVID started and hand sanitizers are readily accessible to someone who may be looking to self-harm,” he said.

This research had no specific funding. Ms. Richards is the editorial registrar of BMJ Evidence Based Medicine and is developing a website to track preventable deaths. Dr. Bassett disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.

Pages

Recommended Reading

Mental illness tied to increased mortality in COVID-19
MDedge Psychiatry
Deep brain stimulation ‘promising’ in severe schizophrenia
MDedge Psychiatry
Repurposing cardiovascular drugs for serious mental illness
MDedge Psychiatry
Conquering the stigma of getting mental health care
MDedge Psychiatry
Melancholic, psychotic depression may protect against ECT cognitive effects
MDedge Psychiatry
Distinguish ‘sleepiness’ from ‘fatigue’ to help diagnose hypersomnia
MDedge Psychiatry
Use long-acting second-generation antipsychotics ‘as early as possible’ in psychosis
MDedge Psychiatry
Inattention to heightened CV risk common theme in clozapine deaths teaser
MDedge Psychiatry
Food preservative for early psychosis: Final word?
MDedge Psychiatry
Managing metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia
MDedge Psychiatry