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Acute poisoning in children
A Mehta1, R R Kasla, S B Bavdekar
1Department of Paediatrics, Dr RN Cooper Hospital, Juhu, Bombay.
Insights
Accidental acute poisoning is common in young children, primarily due to kerosene and medications. Healthcare providers must prioritize health education for accident prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Acute poisoning is a significant concern in pediatric populations.
- Accidental exposures are the leading cause of poisoning in children.
- Understanding common agents and risk factors is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the epidemiology of acute poisoning in children presenting to a hospital.
- To identify common poisoning agents and demographic risk factors.
- To evaluate the role of prior health education in poisoning prevention.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study design.
- Inclusion of 120 children with acute poisoning.
- Data collection on poisoning agents, age, circumstances, and prior medical contact.
Main Results:
- Accidental poisoning affected 116 children (96.7%), predominantly those aged 1-4 years (65%).
- Kerosene and medications were the most frequent culprits, accounting for 72 cases (60%).
- No caregivers reported receiving prior accident or poisoning prevention education.
Conclusions:
- Young children, particularly toddlers, are at high risk for accidental poisoning.
- Kerosene and medications are key agents requiring targeted prevention strategies.
- Enhanced health education by healthcare providers is essential to reduce childhood poisoning incidents.
Abstract:
This prospective study comprised 120 children brought to the hospital with the history of acute poisoning. Poisonings occurred accidentally in 116 cases (96.7%) and 78 cases (65%) were children aged 1-4 years. Medical aid was sought earliest in case of children with animal bite and in infants. Kerosene and medications accounted for 72 cases (60%) of poisoning exposures. None of the care-takers of children received any instruction regarding prevention of accidents and poisoning prior to the episode, in spite of multiple contacts with health-care providers. Role of health education and other preventive measures are stressed.