Role of Clonidine in Organophosphate Poisoning in Children

The most commonly used insecticides in India are either organophosphates or carbamates. Both of these classes of pesticides act by inhibiting cholinesterase enzymes. A commonly used antidote in the management of poisoning due to these compounds is atro-pine. While oximes are additionally used in organophosphate toxicity, they are generally not recommended for carbamate exposure. We are reporting a case of organophosphate (OP) poisoning that did not respond very well to either atropine or oximes, but improved significantly when clonidine, an alpha-adrenergic agonist was used.