Retrospective Analysis of Acute Poisoning Cases in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Thrace Region

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to determine the properties of intoxication cases in Thrace region that were followed-up and treated in Pediatric Ýntensive Care Unit (PICU) and to be a guide for precautions.
METHODS: Children who were hospitalised in PICU of the Namýk Kemal University School of Medicine between January 2012 and August 2016 were included in the study.The necessary data were collected retrospectively by analysing the records of cases. Age, gender, poisoning effect, location and cause, application to hospital and treatment methods were evaluated. Data were evaluated using descriptive methods and chi-square test, statistical differences of p <0.05 were considered significant.
RESULTS: For the study, the files of 172 patients aged from 6 months to 18
years (mean 6.61 ± 5.36 years) were scanned; 113 (65.70 %) cases were female, 59 (34.30 %) were male. A high proportion (52 %) of intoxication cases were between 0 and 4 years of age. Most poisonings occurred at home (91.90 %) via the oral route (95.90 %). The season in which poisonings were most seen was summer. In 70.30 % of cases, the reason for intoxication was accidentally. 98 % of cases that were intoxicated as a result of a suicide attempt were girls. The most common substance for intoxication was drugs (78.60 %), followed by corrosives (10.80 %) and cleaning substances (3.80 %). Antidepressant drugs were the most common drug group (25.85 %) that caused intoxication. There was no report of mortality in those 172 acute childhood poisoning cases.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The most frequent occurrence of poisonings in children between one and six years of age indicates how important it is for families to be trained. In our region, both accidental and suicidal poisonings were more common in girls. It is noteworthy that the poisonings that developed especially after the accident were seen more in girls in this region than in the literature. We believe that extensive research and training of families to prevent childhood poisoning will be effective in reducing mortality and morbidity.