Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) in topical form has been associated with a lethal reaction in a child. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Death of a child from topical diphenhydramine.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2009 Dec;30(4):380-1. PMID: 19901814
Department of Pathology, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63104, USA. [email protected]
Diphenhydramine is a drug readily available over the counter in the form of capsules, tablets, and syrup used for allergy relief. A topical form is sold as a cream without a prescription to alleviate itching. Diphenhydramine is a drug commonly found in postmortem toxicology reports. In rare instances, death is attributed to ingestion of lethal concentrations of the drug. Herein is a report of a toddler who died of lethal concentrations of diphenhydramine from topical application.