A clinical study of accidental poisoning in children

Abstract

Objective To reduce the incidence of accidental injuries caused by accidental poisoning in children through the analysis of clinical data. Methods By analyzing the clinical data of the children with accidental poisoning in Emergency Department of Shantou Central Hospital from August 2018 to July 2019, the characteristics of drug varieties, age, gender differences, seasonal differences, and regional characteristics were analyzed. Results There were 44 cases, including 29 boys (65.9%) and 15 girls (34.1%). There was a high incidence in the 1-3 years old children, accounting for 72.7% (32/44). Among the 44 cases, 37 were from rural areas, accounting for 84.1%, and 7case (15.9%) from city; 33 cases (75.0%) were taken care of by the elderly when they were poisoned by mistake, and 11 cases (25.0%) by their parents. The varieties of poisoning drugs were antihypertensive drugs, antipsychotics, kerosene, vegetables or food containing pesticides, turpentine, disinfectant, etc. Conclusions Parents should be aware of the possibility of taking drugs by mistake, especially in rural areas where the elderly care for children. It is suggested to strengthen the common sense of parents' safety education through hospital, kindergarten, community and media education, and to effectively prevent children from taking drugs by mistake from family caregivers, government, medical institutions and other aspects. Key words: Children; Poisoning; Emergency department; Epidemiology