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Ponte Academic Journal
Aug 2023, Volume 79, Issue 8

FEATURES OF ACUTE POISONING IN CHILDHOOD: A FIVE-YEAR EXPERIENCE OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN ISTANBUL

Author(s): Nicel Yildiz Silahli ,Betul Orhan Kilic

J. Ponte - Aug 2023 - Volume 79 - Issue 8
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.8.3



Abstract:
Introduction Poisoning is a preventable public health issue that poses a significant threat to the health and well-being of children worldwide. As such, it is of utmost importance to assess the current situation, update epidemiological data, and establish effective prevention and monitoring strategies for healthcare professionals. This study aims to evaluate the epidemiological data of children who were admitted to our hospital with suspected poisoning and to provide insights that can inform the development of community-based preventive programs. Material-Method The study is a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional analysis that included cases who presented to the pediatric outpatient clinic with suspicion of acute poisoning over a five-year period. The sociodemographic data of the cases, exposure to the toxic substance, and clinical follow-ups were analyzed to provide insights into the epidemiology of childhood poisoning and inform the development of prevention programs. Results A total of 396 cases were included in this study, with an average age of 3.4±2.0 years. Of all the poisoning cases, 50.5% were attributed to pharmacological agents. Antipyretics (31.0%), antidepressants (22.8%), and antihistamines (14.2%) were the most frequently implicated agents in drug-related poisonings. As for treatment and follow-up, 86.9% of the cases required hospitalization. Chemical poisoning was observed to be the most prevalent type of poisoning in the 0-11 months and 1-5 years age groups, accounting for 54.5% of cases. Conversely, drug poisoning was the most frequent type of poisoning in the 13-18 years age group, representing 88.5% of cases. Significantly different patterns were observed in the types of drugs involved in poisoning cases across different age groups (p=0.013). Antipyretics were the most commonly involved drugs in 29.8% of poisoning cases in the 1-5 years age group, while antidepressants accounted for 52.2% of poisoning cases in the 13-18 years age group. There was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of adolescents admitted to the intensive care unit compared to other age groups (p<0.001, χ² =51.8). Conclusion The current study found significant differences in the etiology and follow-up of poisoning cases among adolescents, which highlights the importance of addressing this age group in preventive efforts and improving their care.
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