Evaluation of Patients with Intoxication Admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Service

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Objective: Acute poisoning in children is a common cause of emergency department attendance. Here we evaluated clinical and epidemiological aspects of intoxication in chil-dren. Material and Methods: A total of 288 acute intoxication cases who visited emergency service between August 2008 and March 2012, were evaluated. Results: Children diagnosed as acute childhood poisoning were between the ages of 6 months and 16 years old (mean age was 5.4 ± 4.4 years). Acute poisoning was the most common in 2 years old children (17.7%) and boys were exposed intoxication slightly more than girls (51.7% versus 48.3%) . In first 5 years of life boys were more intoxicated and after the age of six girls were more exposed to acute poisoning. Intoxications with caustic and corrosive materi-als were the most common (148 cases, 51.4%) and intoxica-tions with medications were the second common (63 cases, 21.9) reasons of acute childhood poisoning. Intoxication materials were mostly taken by gastrointestinal route (245 cases, 85.1%) and rest of them (43 cases, 19.4%) was ex-posed to those materials by respiratory tract. There was no report of mortality in those 288 acute childhood poisoning cases. Conclusion: Accidental childhood poisoning is mostly caused by caustic and corrosive materials and intoxication with medications is the second common reason following it. Using boxes and bottles with more safe covers for the storage of those hazardous substances, and education of parents may decrease acute intoxication cases in childhood causing morbidity and mortality especially when such accidents are preventable.

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Emergency service , childhood , intoxication

Kocatepe Medical Journal

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Kocatepe Medical Journal