The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend using insect repellents to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, ticks, and other arthropods that transmit disease-causing pathogens. Repellents applied to exposed skin should be used in conjunction with other preventive measures such as wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, and socks and avoiding outdoor activities during peak mosquito-biting times.1 Some insect repellents are listed in Table 1.
Mosquitoes can transmit pathogens such as Zika, chikungunya, dengue, West Nile, eastern...
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The FDA has required a new warning in the label for the scopolamine transdermal patch (Transderm-Scōp, and generics) about a risk of serious or fatal hyperthermia. Scopolamine, an anticholinergic drug, is FDA-approved for prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness or recovery after surgery in adults; it is often used off-label to reduce drooling in children and adolescents with neurologic disorders.
An FDA review identified 13 cases of hyperthermia associated with use of the scopolamine patch, including 8 cases in children ≤17 years old and 4 in adults ≥60 years old. Hyperthermia typically began within 72 hours after application of a patch and was usually accompanied by other symptoms of toxicity, such as mydriasis, disorientation, or urinary retention. Most cases occurred after the first application, but one occurred 18 months after treatment initiation.
Some cases …