İlknur KABA, Samet Can DEMİRBAŞ, Havva Nur Peltek KENDİRCİ

Evaluation of Poisoning Cases Presenting to the Pediatric Emergency Department

Aim: Poisoning in the pediatric population often results in numerous visits to emergency services. The purpose of our study is to conduct a retrospective analysis of the demographic and epidemiological characteristics, clinical progression, laboratory findings, and prognosis of patients who presented to the pediatric emergency outpatient clinic due to poisoning. Material and Methods: The clinical and laboratory features of patients who presented to our hospital's emergency department due to poisoning between March 2019 and March 2020 were retrospectively examined. Statistical analyses were carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 22.0 software. Results: The mean age of the 624 cases who presented to the pediatric emergency department due to poisoning over a one-year period was 7.9±6.2 (1.0-18.0) years, with 49.8% of them being female (n=311). It was found that the cause of poisoning in 14.6% (n=91) of the cases was a suicide attempt. Drug intoxications accounted for 54.3% (n=339) of all cases, of which 77% (n=261) involved a single drug and 23% (n=78) involved multiple drug consumption. 79.3% (n=495) of the patients, who had an admission time to hospital of 1.3±0.6 (1.0-4.0) hours, were asymptomatic upon arrival, and 71.5% (n=446) were admitted for hospitalization. 28.5% (n=178) were treated on an outpatient basis. 35.3% (n=157) of the hospitalized patients required monitoring in the intensive care unit. The mean hospital stay was determined to be 2.4±1.1 (1.0-11.0) days. Conclusion: Drugs, especially analgesics, are the most frequent cause of poisoning in childhood. The most appropriate strategy for poisoning will be to enact preventive measures, increase societal awareness, and ensure that diagnosis and treatment are swiftly and effectively implemented.

Keywords:

poisoning, child, emergency room,

PDF

___

1. Özcan T, Tosun A, İnan G, et al. Hastanemize başvuran zehirlenme olgularının değerlendirilmesi. Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi. 2002;3:5-8.
2. Gummin DD, Mowry JB, Beuhler MC, et al. 2020 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System (NPDS): 38th Annual Report. Clinical Toxicol (Phila). ;59:1282-501.
3. Ulusal zehir danışma merkezi (UZEM) raporları 2014-2020 yılları yayınlandı. https://tatd.org.tr/toksikoloji/2021/10/21/ulusal-zehir-danisma-merkezi"https://tatd.org.tr/toxicology/2021/10/21/ulusal-zehir-danisma-merkezi access date 20.06.2022.
4. Uziel Y, Adler A, Aharonowitz G, et al. Unintentional childhood poisoning in the Sharon area in Israel: a prospective 5-year study. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2005;21:248-51.
5. İstatistiklerle çocuk. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Istatistiklerle-Cocuk-2020-37228 access date: 20.06 2022.
6. National Vital Statistics System-Mortality Data via CDC. https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/saved/D76/D266F092 access date: 20.06.2022
7. Yorulmaz A, Akbulut H, Yahya İ, et al. Retrospective evaluation of patients admitted to the pediatric emergency department with intoxication. Turkish Journal of Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine. 2017;4:96-103.
8. Mintegi S, Fernandez A, Alutiza J, et al. Emergency visits for childhood poisoning: a 2-year prospective multicenter survey in Spain. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2006;22:334-8.
9. Akgül F, Er A, Çelik F, et al. Retrospective study of childhood poisonings. J Pediatr Emerg Intensive Care Med. 2016;3:91-6.
10. Ozdemir R, Bayrakci B, Tekşam O, et al. Thirty- three-year experience on childhood poisoning. Turk J Pediatr. 2012;54:251-9.
11. Andiran N, Sarikayalar F. Pattern of acute poisonings in childhood in Ankara: what has changed in twenty years? Turk J Pediatr. 2004;46:147-52.
12. Soyucen E, Aktan Y, Saral A, et al. Sakarya bölgesinde çocukluk çağı zehirlenmelerinin geriye dönük değerlendirilmesi. Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Dergisi. 2006;49:301-6.
13. PJ Caballero Valles, S Dorado Pombo, A Diaz Brasero A, et al. Epidemiologic survey of acute poisoning in the South area of the Community of Madrid: the VEIA 2004 study. An Med Interna. 2008;25:262-8.
14. Duyan Çamurdan A. Preventive cautions in childhood poisoning. Türkiye Klinikleri Pediatrik Bilimler. 2006;2:87-91.
15. Jepsen F, Ryan M. Poisoning in children. Current Paediatrics. 2005;15:563-8.
16. Akbay-Öntürk Y, Uçar B. Eskişehir bölgesinde çocukluk çağı zehirlenmelerinin retrospektif değerlendirilmesi. Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Dergisi. 2003;46:103-13.
17. Biçer S, Sezer S, Çetindağ F, et al. Evaluation of acute intoxications in pediatric emergency clinic in 2005 Marmara Medical Journal. 2007;20:12-20.
18. Türkmenoğlu Y, Akşahin B, Sarıtaş Ü, et al. Update glance on childhood intoxication. Okmeydanı Medical Journal. 2015;31:82-91.
19. Yılmaz HL, Derme T, Yıldıztaş D, Alhan E. Evaluation of childhood intoxication cases in Çukurova region. Nobel Medicus. 2009;5:35-44.
20. Akıcı N, Bayoğlu D, Gürbüz T, et al. Investigation of Poisonings in Children aged six and under and in children older than six years. Marmara Pharm J. 2013;17:35-41.
21. Özdemir D, Yiş U, Kalkan Ş, et al. Akut çocukluk çağı zehirlenmeleri. Eurasian Emerg Med. 2003;1:36-8.
22. Even KM, Armsby CC, Batema ST. Poisoning requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit: a 5-year review. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2014;52:519-24.
23. Genç G, Saraç A, Ertan Ü. Çocuk hastanesi acil servisine başvuran zehirlenme olgularının değerlendirilmesi. Nobel Med. 2007;3:18-22. 24. Kondolot M, Akyıldız B, Görözen F, et al. Çocuk acil servisine getirilen zehirlenme olgularının değerlendirilmesi. Çocuk Sağlığı Ve Hast Derg. 2009;52:68-74.