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Pediatric poisoning deaths in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review

Saad A Almutairi1, Jassim Hijji Alsaleem1, Mahdi A Alrashed1

  • 1College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Legal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan)
|November 17, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric poisoning deaths in Saudi Arabia are often accidental ingestions at home, primarily involving drugs and pesticides. Low caregiver awareness and neglect are significant risk factors requiring urgent public health intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Poisons pose significant health risks, particularly to children, who are a vulnerable population.
  • Pediatric poisoning deaths represent a critical public health concern in Saudi Arabia.

Approach:

  • A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases.
  • Identified and analyzed eight articles reporting on pediatric poisoning fatalities in Saudi Arabia.

Key Points:

  • Most poisonings occurred in children's homes via accidental ingestion.
  • Fatalities were commonly linked to pharmaceutical drugs and pesticides.
  • Inadequate caregiver awareness and neglect emerged as primary risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is essential to detail victims, poisons, and circumstances of pediatric poisonings nationally.
  • Public awareness campaigns are crucial to promote safety and mitigate neglect, thereby preventing childhood poisonings.

Keywords:
ChildrenFatalityMortalityPediatric poisoningSaudi ArabiaToxicology

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