Ingestion--associated adverse events necessitating pediatric ICU admissions

To review the pattern of food-associated pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions.

A retrospective chart review was conducted to analyse the pattern of food-associated PICU admissions at a teaching hospital between January 2004 and May 2007.

Ten cases (7 boys and 3 girls, aged 9 month to 11.7 year) were identified. One girl developed progressive generalized urticarial rash and anaphylactic shock following consumption of bird nest drink. A boy presented with the classic triads of acute onset altered mental state, respiratory depression and small pupils following consumption of a bottle of presumed "green tea", which was subsequently found to contain methadone. In the remaining 8 cases, dried mango, peanut, peanut-shell, fishmeat ball, pork chop, bread and bone were the culprits, impacting in the airway or oesophagus. All but one patient had short ICU stay (

Presentations were generally acute, dramatic and unmistaken. The majority of patients made prompt and uneventful recovery and had short PICU stay.