Administrative Policy for Syrup of Ipecac in First Aid Kits Used in Clark County.
Child Care Centers and Family Care Homes. The Clark County Health District ...
Clark County Health District Environmental Health Division
Memo Date:
October 6, 2005
To:
CCHD Environmental Health All
From:
Glenn D. Savage, Environmental Health Director
Re:
Administrative Policy for Syrup of Ipecac in First Aid Kits Used in Clark County Child Care Centers and Family Care Homes
The Clark County Health District Regulations Governing the Sanitation of Child Care Facilities (Adopted August 22, 2002), Section 4.4.2 (l) requires an “Un-expired bottle of Syrup of Ipecac that is only administered following instructions from a poison control center or physician” to be included in the first aid kit of a child care facility. According to November 2003 issue of Pediatrics, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “In a new policy statement, ‘Poison Treatment in the Home,’ the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that syrup of ipecac no longer be used routinely as a home treatment strategy… The policy urges that instead of having ipecac on hand, pediatricians should tell parents to post the universal phone number for poison control… The parents should call 9-1-1 in the case of convulsions, cessation of breathing or unconsciousness.” See attached news release, “Don’t Treat Swallowed Poison with Syrup of Ipecac says AAP.” In the interest of good public health, this Administrative Policy is effective immediately and supercedes The Clark County Health District Regulations Governing the Sanitation of Child Care Facilities (adopted August 22, 2002), Section 4.4.2, until the Regulations can be updated.
GDS/kma Attachments G:\MEMOS\Child Care Program\admin policy - syrup of ipecac 10-6-05.doc
