Pediatricians once recommended Ipecac be kept in the home as a ready emetic for use in cases of accidental poisoning.Current guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, however, strongly advise against this and in fact recommend the disposal of any syrup of Ipecac present in the home.Many toxicological associations have also issued position papers recommending against its use as a first-line treatment for most ingested poisons, because there has been no evidence that syrup of Ipecac actually helps improve the outcome in cases of poisoning. Moreover, accidental overdose of Ipecac can result when administered in the home.

A 2005 review by an HRSA-funded scientific panel concluded that vomiting alone does not reliably remove poisons from the stomach. The study suggested that indications for use of Ipecac syrup were rare and patients should be treated by more effective and safer means. Additionally, Ipecac’s potential side effects, such as lethargy, can be confused with the poison’s effects, complicating diagnosis. Ipecac may also delay the administration or reduce the effectiveness of other treatments such as activated charcoal, whole bowel irrigation, or oral antidotes.

The Ipecac, with the CAS registry number 8012-96-2, is also known Ipecacuanha.Its EINECS number is 232-385-8.It belongs to the product biological medicine.What's more,Its systematic name is Ipecac syrup.The Ipecac is a syrup made from the dried rhizomes of two different species, CEPHAELIS ipecacuanha and C. acuminata. They contain EMETINE, cephaeline, psychotrine and other ISOQUINOLINES. Ipecac syrup is used widely as an emetic acting both locally on the gastric mucosa and centrally on the chemoreceptor trigger zone.

The toxicity data of Ipecac as follows: