Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children
04:55

Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children

Published on: September 11, 2018

11.4K

New hazards in paediatric poisoning presentations

C Moore, E Crowley, J Doyle

    Irish Medical Journal
    |March 26, 2015
    PubMed

    Insights

    Childhood accidental ingestions are a significant health concern. While presenting more often, fewer children received investigations or hospital admission compared to a decade prior.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
    • Toxicology
    • Public Health

    Background:

    • Accidental ingestion is a major cause of preventable childhood illness and injury.
    • Understanding trends in pediatric accidental ingestions is crucial for public health initiatives.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze the trends in pediatric accidental ingestions presenting to a tertiary pediatric emergency department.
    • To compare current ingestion data with a similar study from ten years prior to identify changes in presentation, investigation, and admission rates.

    Main Methods:

    • Retrospective analysis of all accidental ingestion presentations (n=478) to a tertiary pediatric emergency department between January 2010 and December 2011.
    • Comparison of current data with a previous study conducted in 2001 at the same institution.

    Main Results:

    • Accidental ingestions represented 0.5% of all presentations, a slight increase from 0.45% in 2001.
    • Fewer investigations were performed (21% vs. 35%) and fewer patients were admitted (7% vs. 20%) in the current study compared to 2001.
    • Paracetamol (14%) and liquid detergent capsules (9.2%) were the most common substances ingested.

    Conclusions:

    • Accidental ingestions remain a significant pediatric health issue requiring focused home safety education.
    • Despite an increase in presentations, there has been a decrease in investigations and admissions, highlighting a potential shift in management strategies.
    • Paracetamol and liquid detergent capsules pose serious risks and necessitate targeted prevention efforts.

    More Related Videos

    Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation11:19

    Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation

    Published on: January 17, 2011

    19.0K
    A Pediatric Concussion Model in Mice: Closed Head Injury with Long-Term Disorders (CHILD)07:01

    A Pediatric Concussion Model in Mice: Closed Head Injury with Long-Term Disorders (CHILD)

    Published on: February 7, 2025

    984

    Related Concept Videos

    Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios01:26

    Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

    Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...
    102
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

    Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
    505
    Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Treatment Strategies01:26

    Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Treatment Strategies

    Treatment strategies for poisoning are a critical aspect of emergency medicine, focusing on preventing the absorption of toxins and enhancing their elimination. When a poisoning incident occurs, the first response is to halt exposure and decontaminate the patient, particularly through gastrointestinal (GI) methods if the poison was ingested.Gastrointestinal Decontamination Techniques:Activated charcoal is the cornerstone of GI decontamination. It works through adsorption, binding the toxin to...
    217
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

    Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
    851
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

    In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
    391
    Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison01:14

    Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison

    In cases of acute poisoning, the primary objective is to prevent further absorption of the toxic substance into the body. Immediate interventions using various decontamination techniques targeting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can achieve this. Decontamination is crucial to prevent poison from entering the systemic circulation, which involves washing affected areas with water and mild soap and removing contaminated clothing. Once external decontamination is done, attention must be turned to...
    1.4K