Figure 2: Estimated Rate of Emergency Department (ED) Visits for Harms Related to Non-therapeutic Use of Over-the-Counter (OTC) Cough and Cold Medications (CCMs), by Age Group and Type of Non-therapeutic Use, 2017-2019.

Abbreviations: CCM = cough and cold medication; ED = emergency department. Estimates of ED visits for medication harms are from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System–Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance project, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; population estimates are from the US Census Bureau. Nonmedical use includes abuse (clinician diagnosis of abuse or documentation of recreational use), misuse (using medication for symptom relief, but not using medication as directed), and overdoses without documentation of therapeutic intent, misuse, abuse, or self-harm. The estimated numbers of ED visits for harms attributed to nonmedical CCM use among patients aged <4 years, 4-11 years, 55-64 years, and ≥65 years, and CCM-related self-harm among patients aged 4-11 years, 55-64 years, and ≥65 years were based on <20 cases and are therefore considered statistically unstable. There were no cases involving self-harm among children aged <4 years or unsupervised exposures among patients aged >11 years. The coefficient of variation for the estimate of nonmedical CCM use among patients aged 35-44 years is >30% and may be considered statistically unstable.