Patterns of Poisoning in Urban and Rural Children: A Single-Center Study
Elżbieta Pac-Kożuchowska1, Paulina Krawiec1, Agnieszka Mroczkowska-Juchkiewicz1
1Patterns of Poisoning in Urban and Rural Children: A Single-Center Study.
Insights
Pediatric poisoning is more common in urban children, with distinct patterns in accidental versus intentional cases. Rural children are more prone to accidental poisoning from household items.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric toxicology
- Environmental health
- Public health
Background:
- Childhood poisoning presents a significant pediatric challenge.
- Poisoning patterns and risk factors exhibit considerable heterogeneity, even within the same country.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the determinants influencing the incidence and nature of poisoning in urban versus rural children.
- To identify specific pediatric populations at elevated risk for poisoning.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 848 children's medical records admitted for poisoning.
- Data collected from July 2008 to December 2012 at the Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
- Patients categorized into urban and rural groups for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- Urban children constituted the majority (64.50%) of poisoning cases.
- Age groups ≤ 5 years and 14-15 years were most affected. Urban boys < 5 and urban girls 14-15 predominated. Rural children < 5 were most prevalent.
- Intentional poisonings increased with age, while accidental poisonings decreased. Non-pharmaceuticals, particularly alcohol, were the leading cause.
Conclusions:
- Poisoning is more prevalent in urban pediatric populations.
- Urban children show bimodal gender distribution: preschool boys in accidental, teenage girls in intentional poisonings.
- Rural children primarily experienced accidental poisoning from household chemicals and improperly stored medicines. Alcohol and narcotics are common among urban youth.
Background:
Poisoning among children is a current issue in pediatrics. The pattern and risk factors of poisoning are heterogeneous and vary within the same country.
Objectives:
The aim of the study was to analyze the determinants in the incidence and nature of poisoning between urban and rural children, in order to identify children at higher risk.
Material And Methods:
The study entailed a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 848 children admitted to the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of Lublin, Poland, due to exposure to poison from July 2008 to December 2012. The patients were divided into urban and rural.
Results:
The majority of the subjects came from urban areas (64.50%). In both groups the most numerous were children aged ≤ 5 years and 14-15 years. Among urban boys, children younger than 5 years old predominated, while among urban girls, teenagers aged 14-15 years comprised the largest group (p = 0.00). In the rural population children younger than 5 years were the most prevalent regardless of gender. The incidence of intentional intoxication increased with age, while the incidence of accidental poisoning decreased with age (p = 0.00). Among urban children there was a significant association between gender and the nature of poisoning (p = 0.00). The most common cause of poisoning was the use of non-pharmaceuticals, with alcohol predominating.
Conclusions:
The study indicates that poisoning is more likely in urban children. Among urban children there is a bimodal gender distribution with a preponderance of pre-school boys in accidental poisoning and of teenage girls in intentional ones. However, among rural children the most prevalent was accidental poisoning by improperly stored medicines and household chemicals. Urban children commonly use alcohol and narcotics.
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