Background and objectives: Safe storage of medications can prevent the accidental poisoning of children. How medications are stored in homes in the Saudi community is not known. The objective of this study was to assess the safety measures for drug storage that are employed by parents to avoid unintentional drug poisoning of children below the age of 6 years. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study based on a validated questionnaire created using the Survey Monkey online tool. Results: Ninety-three percent of the respondents did not store medications in secure and safe places such as locked boxes or locked drawers; however, more than half of the respondents (54.3%) stored medications at a level that was above the eye level of an adult. The majority of drugs (60.2%) were kept in the fridge; 45.9% were kept in kitchens, 45.1% in bedrooms, 8% in living rooms and 2% in bathrooms. Thirty percent of the respondents stored medications in two places, and 10% stored medication in three or more places. Eighty-nine percent disposed of unwanted medicines by throwing them in the trash, only 11% returned them to the pharmacy, and 11% flush them down the toilet. Conclusions: These results raise concerns about how drugs are stored and disposed of in the community. Additional community education and awareness programs regarding the safe storage of drugs in the home and the identification of useful and accessible methods of drug disposal are needed.

Objective:To document the range of presentations, extent of investigations, and treatment choices of ‘physicians treating’ neonates with mastitis seen over a 9-year period at a tertiary care pediatric hospital.Materials and Methods:An email survey was sent to Emergency Department (ED) staff and fellows asking them how they would treat a well-looking neonate with localized mastitis. Secondly, a retrospective chart review of neonates presenting to the ED with a diagnosis of neonatal mastitis or breast engorgement from July 2000 to December 2009 was conducted to assess how such patients were actually treated.Results:46/107 surveys were returned, with a wide discrepancy in how clinicians would treat neonatal mastitis: 4.3% would perform a full sepsis work up, including lumbar puncture, followed by IV antibiotics and hospital admission; 28% chose discharge on oral antibiotics; and 28% suggested admission only if blood work was abnormal. From the chart review, 33 neonates were diagnosed with possible neonatal mastitis over a 9-year period: 12 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 8 (66%) were admitted and treated with intravenous antibiotics, 2 (16.6%) were treated with oral antibiotics, and 2 (16.6%) did not receive antibiotics. None of the 12 patients had lumbar puncture performed.Conclusion:There is significant disagreement among clinicians regarding the best way to treat the well-looking neonate with localized mastitis. Most elect to perform blood tests and start treatment with IV antibiotics with good Staphylococcus aureus coverage, followed by oral antibiotics if cultures are negative.