Seasonal trends in reported poisonings

Review of 2,339 Duke Poison Control Center records for calendar year 1977 revealed that preschool children had an autumn peak for all poisonings; older victims a summer predominance. When the reports were stratified by poisoning agent, significant summer predominance was noted in preschool victims for plants, pesticides, paints, and cosmetics; winter predominance for external medicines. In older victims, spring predominance was found for pesticides and soaps, summer predominance for envenomations, plants, internal medicines, ethanol, soaps, and external medicines.