Abstract
Poisoning in children and young people (CYPs) falls into three categories; accidental, nonaccidental, and deliberate. Around 75–99% of accidental poisonings in children less than five years of age occur in a domestic environment. This chapter addresses the following topics: nonaccidental ingestion and self-harm; health promotion strategies; common ingestions; initial management following poisoning or overdose; care of the parent/carer; treatment of ingested poisons; and gastric lavage. The two groups of CYPs who need specific consideration are those in whom poisoning may have been nonaccidental and those who self-harm by poisoning. Paracetamol is by far the most common poisonous substance ingested by CYPs. Ethanol is a poison very commonly ingested in young people over the age of 14, but fortunately severe poisoning is uncommon. Gastric lavage is the third method of gut decontamination and its use in CYPs has been poorly studied and more research is needed.
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