Intentional self-poisoning in children and adolescents 2018-2022: a single-center study with implications for suicide...

In recent years, the number of children and adolescent suicide attempts has increased in Poland. Intentional self-poisoning (ISP) is the most common method of committing suicide in that group. This study was designed to further analyze the trends and characteristics of pediatric emergency department (ED) presentations.

The study was a retrospective description of a case series (n = 113) from a single center, the regional pediatric ED. Data from <18 years old patient reports from 2018 to 2022 were used for the analysis. The demographic data of patients, International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes of diagnosis as well as drugs and their doses used for ISP were analyzed. Basic overall statistics and between-group comparisons were calculated with a p-significance level set on p > 0.05.

The average patient age was 14.4 years. Overdoses occurred most frequently at night, on Mondays, and in November/April. The most common psychiatric diagnosis was depressive episodes (45.13%). 52.0% of girls and 45.4% of boys were already under psychiatric care. Multiple drug overdoses accounted for 34.5%. The most frequently used substances were paracetamol (23.7%, mean dose 4150 mg), sertraline (13.8%, 1423 mg), and ibuprofen (10.5%, 8375 mg).

ISP among children and adolescents increased periodically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains a significant problem for the healthcare system. Data shows over-the-counter painkillers, antipyretics, and psychiatric drugs were the primary substances used. Evidence-based prevention strategies that restrict access to these methods help reduce cases, and Poland should adopt them more strictly.