Kids' Aripiprazole Ingestion May Have Led to False-Positive Amphetamine Results

By Kelly Young

Edited by Susan Sadoughi, MD, and André Sofair, MD, MPH

Accidental ingestion of the atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole by two children was associated with false-positive results for amphetamine on urine drug screens, according to case reports in Pediatrics.

In the first instance, a 2-year-old girl was thought to have accidentally ingested three of her father's aripiprazole tablets. She was lethargic, ataxic, and hypothermic in the emergency department. The second case, a 20-month-old girl, was found in her crib with the following medications: alprazolam, fluvoxamine, clonazepam, buspirone, and aripiprazole. She was unable to stand or move without falling.

Both children's urine drug screens were positive for amphetamine. Confirmatory lab work, however, was negative. The authors note that the children's symptoms were more consistent with atypical antipsychotics than amphetamines.

They conclude: "Clinicians need to be aware of the potential for false-positive [results] secondary to aripiprazole ingestion. Clinicians should always assess the complete clinical picture and order confirmatory quantitative testing to verify any preliminary positive urine toxicology results."