FDA warns against using codeine in children after tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy

Children who undergo surgery to have their tonsils or adenoid removed are often prescribed codeine for pain relief, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns the medication – even when given in amounts that are the recommended dose range – can be fatal. In August 2012, the FDA warned that this danger exists for children who are “ultra-rapid metabolizers” of codeine, meaning that their liver converts codeine to morphine in higher than normal amounts. Since then, the FDA has conducted a comprehensive safety review of codeine use in children. A search of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) ... Read More