The National Clearinghouse for Poison Control Centers is beginning to receive reports of accidental ingestion of the new antiemetic drug, pipamazine* (Mornidine). The drug is a phenothiazine derivative, similar in pharmacologic activity to other phenothiazine derivatives such as chlorpromazine, perphenazine, and prochlorperazine. Pipamazine is dispensed as a 5 mg. tablet, the recommended adult dose being 5 mg. (1 tablet) every four hours.
In the past six months, four children were reported to have developed manifestations following ingestion of larger than therapeutic amounts of pipamazine. One of the children was 23 months old and the other three children were each 3 years of age. All of the children recovered. Varying degrees of central nervous system depression were manifested by three children, depending on the amount ingested. The 23-month-old child became stuporous and was noted to be slightly cyanotic after ingestion of approximately 100 mg. of pipamazine. Gastric lavage was performed one