RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Most people are frequently exposed to chemicals and chemical products. This study provides basic information on the outcomes of acute chemical ingestion of patients aged under 19 years. METHODS: Patients aged under 19 years who had ingested chemicals and thus visited the emergency department between January 2011 and December 2016 were included in this study. RESULTS: In all, 1,247 patients included (1,145 in the unintentional group and 102 in the intentional group). The mean age was 3.27±4.77 in the unintentional ingestion group and 16.49±1.94 in the intentional group. In the unintentional group, detergents were most frequently ingested (by 219 patients), followed by hypochlorite-based agents, ethanol, sodium hydroxide, acetone, silica gel, and citric acid. Cases of boric acid (odds ratio [OR] = 6.131), ethylene glycol (OR = 6.541), glacial acetic acid (OR = 7.644), other hydrocarbons (OR = 4.496), hypochlorite-based agent (OR = 2.627), nicotine (OR = 5.635), and sodium peroxocarbonate (OR = 6.783) ingestion was associated with a significantly high admission rate. In the intentional group, there were 54 cases of ingestion of hypochlorite-based agent, followed by detergent, ethylene glycol, ethanol, methanol and sodium peroxycarbonate. The significant risk factors for admission in the intentional group were ingestion of ethylene glycol (OR = 37.333) and hypochlorite-based agent (OR = 5.026). There was no mortality case. CONCLUSION: The most commonly ingested substances were sodium hypochlorite (hypochlorite-related agent), surfactants (detergent and soap), and ethanol. The ingestion of hypochlorite or ethylene glycol was the main risk factor for admission. Intentional ingestion was higher in adolescents than in children.
Asunto(s)
Compuestos Inorgánicos/envenenamiento , Compuestos Orgánicos/envenenamiento , Intoxicación/epidemiología , Adolescente , Niño , Preescolar , Ingestión de Alimentos , Servicios Médicos de Urgencia/tendencias , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/tendencias , Etanol/envenenamiento , Femenino , Humanos , Lactante , Masculino , República de Corea/epidemiología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Hipoclorito de Sodio/envenenamiento , Tensoactivos/envenenamientoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study was performed to determine the incidence, demographic distribution, types and outcomes across various non-drug related poisonings among children attending a tertiary care center in south India. METHODS: All children from 0-16 years who presented to the Paediatric Emergency Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore with non-drug related poisoning from October 2004 to September 2013 were included. RESULTS: Out of the total 997 cases of poisoning, 629 (63.1%) cases were contributed by chemicals and plants: mainly hydrocarbons (kerosene) 309 (49.1%); organophosphates 72 (11.5%); corrosive acids and alkalis 57 (9.1%); insecticides 51 (8.1%); and plant poisons 20 (3.2%). Males (62.79%) and children < 5 years (77.42%) were mostly affected. Although many children developed complications requiring intensive care unit admissions, the total mortality was only 9 (1.4%). The incidence of poisoning showed a decreasing trend over the last 4 years. CONCLUSION: This study for the first time gives an elaborative insight on non-drug related pediatric poisoning from a tertiary care center in south India for almost a decade.