Assessment of Unavoidable Corrosive Substance Ingestion in Children

Abstract

Objective: Corrosive substances are agents which ease our lives, but they can also make children’s’ lives completely difficult as a result of contact with gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract and skin. Examinations and treatments of patients hospitalized in our clinic with the complaint of corrosive substance ingestion were examined. Methods: The records of 45 patients who were hospitalized in our clinic between May 2017 and December 2018 were examined retrospectively. The patients’ ages, genders, ingested corrosive substance, admission and discharge inflammatory markers were examined according to diagnosis and treatment type. Results: Of the 45 cases, 24 (53,3%) were male, while 21 (46,7%) were female. The youngest case was 9 months old, the oldest case was 168 months and average age of the cases was 24,7 months. The substances the cases were exposed to were bleacher in 20 patients (44,4%), dishwasher detergent in 11 patients (24,4%), rinse aid in 5 patients (11,1%), drain cleaner in 4 patients (8,9%), washing machine detergent in 3 patients (6,7%), decalcifier in 1 patient (2,2%) and surface cleaner (sodium hypochlorite) in 1 patient (2,2%). Endoscopy was performed on two patients with clinical symptoms who ingested drain cleaner. Statistically significant difference was found between the hospitalization and discharge white blood cell count×103/uL (WBC), lymphocyte count×103/Ul (LYM), platelet count ×103/uL (PLT), red blood cell width (RDW,%), mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) values of the patients (p<0.05). Conclusion: With precautions taken to prevent the ingestion of corrosive substances, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality can be prevented significantly. It is important to raise awareness in families on this issue.