Abstract:

Purpose: Childhood poisoning is an unprecedented important social health problem that can result in suddenly occurring, serious morbidity and mortality. In this study, we have evaluated patients who have requested our emergency service for children due to poisoning over the past five years. Tools and Methods: From 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2017, the records of 1734 children who were brought to the Children's Emergency Service of the University of Mersin Medical School Hospital due to poisoning were retrospective examined. Events were evaluated in terms of age, gender, cause of poisoning, pharmacological agents and treatments that cause poisoning. Results: 0.68% of children who were brought to emergency service within five years were poisoned. Of the cases caused by poisoning, 1020 (58.8%) were girls and 714 (41.2%) were men (girl/man: 1.4). The average age of the patients was 9.68 ± 2.85 years (5 months-18 years); the average age of the girls was higher than the men (respectively 12.61 ± 2.7 years and 8.14 ± 3.7 years, p=0.07). The most common cause of poisoning was drugs (n=1031; 59.4%) and the most frequently observed group of drugs were analgesics (n=374; 21.5%). 571 of the cases (32.9 percent) were brought because of the self-intervention attempt. 1157 of the cases (66.2%) were in emergency service, 190 (10.9%) in child health and diseases service, 62 (3.5%) in child intensive care service and 325 (18.7%) in child surgery service. Results: The findings in this study show that the most common cause in children brought to emergency service due to poisoning is drugs. One of the most important aspects of these events is my own initiative. Thanks to the measures taken by the environment, the family, the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the doctors, it will be possible to prevent childhood poisoning.

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