Evaluation of changing patterns in children poisonings and prevention

Poisoning prevention strategies have to be modified according to the risk variations with age and time. Epidemiologic surveillance usefulness was confirmed by studying the 0-15 y-old children in the Trieste area from 1976-1987. Significant differences were observed in children under 5 due to an increase in caustic substance and home detergents poisoning and a decrease in analgesic-antipyretics ingestion. This was probably due to the introduction by law in our country of child-resistant containers and to a better awareness by parents. At 10 y-of-age and older, alcohol is the cause of most intoxications and more recently benzodiazepine poisonings have significantly increased. At this age poisoning results from deliberate ingestion in most cases; therefore education should be the main preventive strategy.