Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2025
Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children
Published on: September 11, 2018
Risk factors for pediatric intoxications in the prehospital setting. A geospatial survey
Calvin Lukas Kienbacher1,2, Guixing Wei3, Jason M Rhodes4
1Division of Emergency Medical Services, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
Insights
Higher median household income in a census tract was associated with an increased risk of pediatric intoxications. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced these geographical patterns.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Environmental Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Socioeconomic factors and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impact child health.
- Investigated the link between median household income (MHI) and pediatric intoxications in Rhode Island.
- Aimed to identify geographical hotspots and pandemic interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between census tract median household income (MHI) and pediatric intoxications.
- To identify geographical clusters of pediatric intoxications.
- To analyze the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on these associations and clusters.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of pediatric intoxication ambulance calls (2018-2022).
- Data linked with US Census Bureau information on median household income.
- Poisson regression and spatial analysis (Global Moran's I, LISA) used to identify trends and clusters.
Main Results:
- A 0.6% increase in pediatric intoxications for every $1,000 increase in MHI.
- The association between MHI and intoxications was less pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Geographical clusters of intoxications were identified and shifted post-pandemic onset.
Conclusions:
- Higher median household income may be a risk factor for pediatric intoxications.
- Geographical patterns of pediatric intoxications were dynamic and influenced by the pandemic.
- Further research needed to understand the mechanisms linking income and intoxication risk.
Background:
Socioeconomic factors and the COVID-19 pandemic influence children's physical and mental health. We aimed to investigate the association between a census tract's median household income [MHI in United States Dollars ($)] and pediatric intoxications in Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States of America. Geographical hotspots, as well as interactions with the COVID-19 pandemic, should be identified.
Methods:
This study is a retrospective analysis of ambulance calls for pediatric (<18 years) intoxication in Rhode Island between March 1st, 2018, and February 28th, 2022. March 1st, 2020 was considered the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prehospital data were joined with information from the United States Census Bureau. The census tracts' case counts and MHI were examined using Poisson regression. Geographical clusters were identified with the Global Moran's I and local indicators of spatial association tests in ArcGIS Pro (Esri Corporation, Redlands, CA).
Results:
Inclusion criteria were met by 208 incidents (48% female, median age 16 (IQR 15 to 17) years). The regression model showed a 0.6% increase (IRR 1.006, 95% CI [1.002, 1.01], p = 0.003) in pediatric intoxications for every $ 1,000 increase in MHI. Interaction analysis showed that the effect of MHI was less pronounced during the pandemic (IRR 0.98, 95% CI [0.964, 0.997], p = 0.02). Thirty-four (14%) of the 244 census tracts contributed to geographical clusters, which changed after the onset of the pandemic.
Conclusion:
Higher median household income could be a risk factor for pediatric intoxications. Geographical hotspots changed with the pandemic.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
01:36Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:19Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
01:26Enhanced Elimination of Poison
Antidotes serve a crucial role in counteracting the effects of poison by inhibiting enzymes responsible for producing harmful drug metabolites. In some cases, these toxic metabolites can be neutralized by endogenous cosubstrates, which are maintained at specific concentrations to prevent interaction with cellular macromolecules and subsequent cell death.
Renal excretion is the...