Paraquat Poisoning in Children: A 5-Year Review

Paraquat is an herbicide that is highly toxic to humans. Paraquat ingestion is a common cause of fatal poisoning in many areas of Asia. The aim of the study was to analyze the characteristics of children with acute paraquat poisoning.

This study was a retrospective analysis of case exposure to paraquat poisoning as reported to the Department of Pediatrics in The West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University between January 2012 and December 2017. The data of these patients were extracted from the electronic health records and analyzed.

A total of 123 children with paraquat poisoning were included in the study. The study showed that 67.5% of these children (83/123) were accidentally exposed to paraquat, whereas 32.5% (40/123) had intentionally ingested paraquat. The 0- to 2.9-year age group had the largest number of cases (30% of the total). One hundred (81.3%) children were discharged with a better health condition. Two children were dead at the time of hospitalization because of respiratory failure. Most children (87.8%) with paraquat poisoning were left-behind children. Paraquat poisoning did not frequently occur in the winter.

Left-behind children living in rural areas have a high risk of paraquat poisoning. Interventions and policies are urgently needed to prevent paraquat poisoning in children. Preventative efforts are the most important measures.