Poisoning In Children: A Study Of 1120 Poisoned Patients Younger Than 12 Years At Loghman Hakeem Poison Control Center, Tehran, Iran, 2000-2001 (original) (raw)
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Caspian Journal of Pediatrics (CJP), 2019
Background: Pediatric poisoning is a common and predictable cause of morbidity worldwide. It is necessary to determine the pattern of this problem in order to take preventive measures. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological and clinical pattern of children poisoning. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 408 children hospitalized due to poisoning in Amirkola Children's Hospital from 2008 to 2013. The hospital information system was used to recognize children with a definite diagnosis of poisoning. Individual and epidemiological information of the participants was extracted from their medical records and analyzed. Results: Out of 408 poisoning cases, 97% of cases were unintentional, 55.4% of subjects were male, and the mean age of the children was 36.27±2.8 months. Totally, 56.6% of the children were residing in urban areas (P=0.004), and most cases (56.12%) suffered from medication poisoning. Moreover, 30.4% of them had no abnormal clinical manifestations, and the most common manifestation was loss of consciousness (29%). Besides, 61% of medical measures taken included the prevention of gastrointestinal absorption of the poison. The mean hospital stay duration was 2.7±2.1 days, and the consequence of poisoning was treatment and discharge in 68.3% of the cases and 1 death (0.2%). Conclusions: The most common cause of pediatric poisoning was medications. In order to prevent poisoning in children, it is necessary to inform parents and other carers about the proper storage and use of medications, and in case of poisoning, urgent referral of the child to the centers.
Acute poisoning in children; a population study in isfahan, iran, 2008-2010
Iranian journal of pediatrics, 2013
Acute accidental poisoning in children is still an important public health problem. The epidemiological investigation specific for each country is necessary to determine the extent and characteristics of the problem. The aim of our study was to elucidate the current pattern of acute poisoning among children. The present retrospective study describes the epidemiology of acute accidental poisoning in children (less than 10 years old) admitted to the Emergency Department of two teaching hospitals during a period of two years. Three hundred and forty four children under 10 years old were admitted to emergency department of two teaching hospitals due to acute accidental poisoning. Drugs were the most common agents causing the poisoning (58.1%), followed by Hydrocarbons (13.1%), and opioids (9.3%). Common signs were neurological (42.6%) with lethargy being the most common (39.1%). 50.6% of cases were discharged from hospital within 6-12 hours, 91.6% of them without any complication. Accid...
Acute Poisoning in Children: A Hospital-Based Study in Arak, Iran (2008-2012)
مجله سم شناسی و مسمومیتهای ایران, 2014
Background: Poisoning is one of the important reasons for children's admission to hospital. Knowledge of epidemiology of poisoning in each region plays an important role in planning prevention, care, and treatment of patients. This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of acute poisoning epidemiology in children attending pediatric wards of Amirkabir Hospital in Arak in a five-year period (March 2008 to March 2012). Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 224 children admitted for poisoning. Data were retrospectively collected from patients' files and analyzed using SPSS 16 software. Results: Of the total population, 54.9% were boys and the rest were girls. Mean age of children was 3.54±2.99 years, and the most common age range was 1-3 years (50.9%). The highest rate of children's admission due to poisoning was in the winter (30.8%). The most common causes of poisoning included drugs (65.2%), kerosene (7.1%), and food poisoning (5.4%). The most common poisoning drugs, included benzodiazepines (21.9%), gastrointestinal drugs (19.9%), opioid analgesics (15.1%). The most prevalent drugs were methadone, metoclopramide, and clonazepam. At admission, the most common presenting symptoms were neurological (51.3%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (38.4%). Conclusion: High prevalence of poisoning with groups of drugs mentioned could indicate community-wide excessive use of these drugs, as well as negligence of families in keeping them out of children's reach. Therefore, raising knowledge and awareness about variety of poisoning and how to prevent them, through holding workshops, national media, schools, and health centers can be a valuable step toward upkeep of children's health.
Journal of Comprehensive Pediatrics, 2020
Background: Poisoning is one of the most common medical emergencies in young children. Substantial differences in socioeconomic and cultural situations cause various epidemiological patterns of acute poisoning with different poisonous agents. Objectives: We aimed to determine the extent of pediatric poisoning in a referral teaching hospital in the center of Iran. Methods: The electronic database of Qods Children Hospital in Qazvin, Iran, was searched for children younger than 12 years old and referred for acute poisoning from 2015 to 2018. The cases (n = 184) were classified according to their age, gender, symptoms at the time of admission, the toxins, and their types. Results: The frequency of poisoning in boys was more than girls (M/F = 1.49). The mean age of the patients was 3.4 years, and the average length of stay in hospital was 1.3 days. Children poisoned with petroleum products had the highest average stay (3.10 days). Although more than 65 agents were identified as the pois...
Epidemiology and Health
OBJECTIVES: Since poisoning is one of the most important preventable factors contributing to the hospitalization and death of children who present to emergency departments, this study was carried out to investigate the risk factors contributing to the incidence and mortality of acute childhood poisoning.METHODS: This hospital-based case-control study included 243 cases and 489 controls, drawn from daily admissions to the emergency departments of the included hospitals according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.RESULTS: Gastrointestinal poisoning was the most common poisoning type, found in 87.7% of subjects, and medications were the most common cause of poisoning (49.8%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a history of poisoning (odds ratio [OR], 10.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.58 to 19.51; p<0.001) and the availability of poisonous substances (OR, 8.88; 95% CI, 5.41 to 14.56; p<0.001) were among the most important predictors of childhood poisoning...
The pattern of acute poisoning in hospitalized children under 18 years old of Yazd, Iran
Asia Pacific Journal of Medical Toxicology, 2021
Acute poisoning is a common cause of emergency department visits in childhood and can increase children’s morbidity and mortality. Since the causes of child poisoning in different parts of Iran may differ due to cultural differences, this study was conducted to evaluate the most common causes of poisoning in Yazd. This retrospective cross-sectional study is based on the medical records of children less than 18 years of age admitted to the pediatric emergency department at Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd during 2018. The collected data included demographic information, the cause, and the outcome of acute poisoning. Out of 105 cases, 61.9% were boys. The highest poisoning rates were in the age group of 1 to 4 years (55.2%). In 50% of the participants, the family size was five or more, and 91% had Iranian nationality. Drugs were identified as the most common causes of poisoning (51.4%), and opioid analgesics were the most frequent drugs. The most common complaint at the time of referr...
Ain Shams Journal of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology
Acute poisoning represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children. The pattern of incidence and risk factors for acute poisoning in children change with time and differ from country to country. Thus, specific epidemiological studies for each country are necessary for determination of the extent and characteristics of the problem, accordingly appropriate preventive measures can be taken. Aim of the study: This is an epidemiological retrospective study aimed to determine the pattern of acute poisoning in children admitted to PCC, Ain Shams University Hospitals during the year 2012. Methods: The collected data about the cases included demographic data (age, gender and residence), circumstances of poisoning (substance of exposure; place, time, mode and route of exposure and coingestion of other agents) and cases' outcome (recovery and discharge or death). Results: This study included 1,521 children; adolescents represented the most frequent age group (55.6%), followed by toddlers (21.9%). Female gender was more frequent than male (67.8% versus 32.2%). The majority of admitted pediatric cases were resident in Greater Cairo governorates. Drugs were more common cause of poisoning in the included cases than non-medicinal agents (57.1% vs 42.9%) and theophylline was the most frequent drug. Pesticides were the most frequent non-medicinal agent in all age groups, except for toddlers where chemicals (kerosene and corrosives) were the most frequent agent. Intentional poisoning was more frequent than unintentional poisoning (55.5% vs 44.5%). While unintentional poisoning occurred in all age groups, intentional poisoning (mainly suicidal) occurred exclusively in older age groups (school age group and adolescents). The house was the site of exposure to poisons in all cases. The winter was the season of greatest frequency of poisoning by pesticides, gases and drugs while the summer was the season of greatest frequency of animal, food, fish and plant poisoning as well as poisoning by chemicals. Ingestion was the most common route of exposure in all age groups (1484 cases, 97.4%) and it was the only route of exposure in infants. About 3.5% of the included cases (59 cases) were presented with co-ingestion of other substances; most of them were in the adolescent group. The percentage of mortality of the admitted cases was 2.2% (33 cases). Iatrogenic/ therapeutic poisoning had the highest mortality ratio (25%) followed by accidental poisoning (2.8%) and suicidal poisoning (1.4%). Conclusion: The greatest frequency of poisoning in children was in adolescents, followed by toddlers. Oral route was the most common route of exposure. Poisoning in children may occur unintentional (in all age group) or intentional (only in older age groups). Suicidal poisoning was the main manner of exposure in adolescents. The percentage of mortality was 2.2%. Recommendations: Appropriate injury prevention strategies, such as safe storage of medicines and cleaning supplies should be implemented. Also, more restrictive measures on the use and storage of pesticides should be taken. Further studies on the risk factors of deliberate self-poisoning in adolescents are recommended as it was found as a major manner of exposure to poisoning in this stage.
Clinical profile of poisoning in children: a hospital based study
International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 2016
Poisoning is a common medical emergency in children. Most of the poisoning in children is accidental. Poisoning account for 1-6% of bed occupancy in children hospitals and 3.9% in pediatric intensive care unit in India. 1 According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), poisoning in childhood is common because children are curious and explore their world with all their senses, most commonly by mouthing. 2 Toddlers are at increased risk due to their increased motor abilities and explorative curiosities. It is a common cause of unnatural death in children. It is the second most common cause of injury resulting in the hospitalization of children under the age of five years. 1 The most common agents involved are over-the-counter (OTC) medications, prescription medications, household products, paraffin/kerosene, pesticides, poisonous plants and animal or insect bites. 3 Unfortunately poisoning in children is becoming more common due to easy access of poison, children with temperamental and behavioural issues, increased screen media exposure, lack of adequate supervision etc. These accidents are preventable because the main reasons for such incidents are a lack of knowledge, a lack of awareness and a lack of adult supervision. The cause of paediatric poisonings varies in different age groups and hence, preventive strategies should be planned accordingly. The present research was aimed to study the ABSTRACT Background: Poisoning is a common medical emergency in children and most of the cases are accidental in nature. The objective was to study clinical profile of children presenting with poisoning to the pediatric emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai, India. Methods: This is Prospective study conducted in a Pediatric ward over a period of 18 months after obtaining permission from institutional ethics committee. Total 50 cases fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study over the period of 18 months. Neonates and the children with snake, scorpion and animal envenomation were excluded. Children with allergic drug reaction or food poisoning were excluded. Descriptive analysis of the collected data was performed using SPSS v.15. Results: Fifty cases of poisoning formed 1.3% of all paediatric admissions (3700 admissions). Most of the cases were accidental (94%). There were 84 % children between 1-5 years of age with male preponderance. Kerosene oil poisoning remained the commonest (32%) accidental poisoning in this study. An interesting trend was concentrated HCL poisoning (now a common household product) as the second commonest poisoning (17.3%). This was followed by poisoning with various drugs used by adults in the house. Conclusions: Acute accidental kerosene poisoning in children is of frequent occurrence in the paediatric emergency department; and thorough knowledge about the management of each poison is essential. Most of the accidents are preventable and prompt treatment can reduce mortality and long term morbidity.
Ain Shams Journal of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology
Childhood poisoning comprises a significant component of injury-related morbidity and mortality all over the world and exerts a huge amount of pressure on the resources of the health care system as well as the workload on the health care staff. Early and accurate diagnosis and management of poisoning decrease the risk of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, study of manifestations and severity of poisoning by variable agents, effects of treatments and outcome is essential to assess the impact of poisonous substances and the effectiveness of treatment. Aim of the study: this study aims to determine the clinical profile, management and outcome of acutely poisoned children admitted to Poison Control Center (PCC), Ain Shams University Hospitals during a one year period starting from 1/1/2012 to 31/12/2012. Methods: The collected data from the cases' medical records included: age, gender, delay time, pre-consultation treatment, clinical manifestations, findings of investigations, place and period of hospitalization, received treatment in the PCC and the outcome. Results: adolescence where the most frequent age group in this study and female gender was more prominent than male gender. Delay time was significantly increased in non-survivors than survivors. The proportion of deaths in group of patients who received pre-consultation treatment was significantly higher than that in patients who didn't receive any treatment before arrival to the PCC. Faulty management in the form of induction of emesis by salty water intake was found in 2.6% of the cases; 7.7% of these cases were died. Most cases presented with unremarkable changes in vital signs and gastrointestinal manifestations (mainly nausea and vomiting) were the most frequent manifestations in the cases. Hypoglycemia, hyponatremia, hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis were the most common abnormalities found in laboratory investigations. Sinus tachycardia was the most common abnormality found in ECG. Most of the included cases in this study were admitted in the inpatient section (83 %). The majority of the cases (75%) were hospitalized for short period that didn't exceed 24 hours. Higher PSS was associated with longer hospital stay periods. Corrosives, followed by pesticides were the most frequent cause of prolonged hospitalization (≥4 days). Emergency managements were indicated in 11% of the cases and procedures for gastric decontamination were done for 1296 cases (87.3%). All cases received supportive and symptomatic treatments. Atropine was the most frequent antidote that was used either alone or with toxogonin. The overall mortality ratio was 2.2%. Preschool age group had the greatest mortality ratio (3.7%), followed by infant group (3.6%). Hypernatremia had the highest case fatality rate (100 %), followed by CO poisoning (28.6%). Conclusion: Gastrointestinal manifestations (mainly nausea and vomiting) were the most frequent manifestations. Hypoglycemia, hyponatremia, hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis were the most common abnormalities found in laboratory investigations. Sinus tachycardia was the most common abnormality found in ECG. Corrosives, followed by pesticides were the most frequent cause of prolonged hospitalization. Atropine was the most frequently used antidote. The overall mortality was 2.2%. Hypernatremia had the highest case fatality rate (100 %). Recommendations: Increasing public awareness of the first aid measures in childhood poisoning is crucial to avoid complications of faulty measures. Also, it is important to increase public awareness of the services of the information center in the PCC as it presents guidance about management of poisoned cases. Ongoing childhood poisoning surveillance is needed to track its effects and risk factors and to monitor the impact of appropriate interventions.
Objective: Acute poisoning is considered as an important health problem leading to admission of children. Also, the epidemiologic surveillance specific for each country is necessary. Therefore, we conducted this study to obtain the epidemiological information on poisoning in Nemazee Hospital, a referral center in South of Iran. Methods: In this cross sectional study, we determined age, sex, presence of suicidal intent and poisoning incidence and causes of the children admitted to Nemazee Hospital due to poisoning from 2008 to 2013. Results: We found that 1391 out of 21940 admissions were due to poisoning with an incidence of 6.3%. Mean age of the patients was 9.34±6.11 years; 40.5% were male. Poisoning was intentional in 53.3% of cases. The most frequent causes of poisoning were drugs (54.3%), opium (7.9%), methadone (7.6%), household products (6%) and hydrocarbons (3.5%). Conclusion: According to our findings, the rate of pediatric in-patient poisoning was high. Also, drugs, opium and methadone were the most common poisonous substances.