Death of a Child From Topical Diphenhydramine

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.