Patterns of Acute Poisoning in Childhood and Relative Factors in Zahedan, Southeast Iran.

摘要

Background:Acutepoisoning,acommonpediatricemergency,isoneoftheimportantcausesofmorbidityandmortalityinchildren,especiallyindevelopingcountries.Thousandsofun-warychildrenundertheageoffiveyearsarepoisonedaccidentallyeveryyearthroughoutworld.MaterialsandMethods:Thiscross-sectionalstudyincludedchildrenwithacutepoisoningadmit-tedtoAliebn-eAbitalebhospitalofZahedan.Allcasesofpoisoning,exceptforfoodpoison-ing,inpatientsunder17yearsoldpresentingtoPediatricsEmergencyDepartment(PED)fromApril2008toApril2009wereselected.Theinformationabouteachcasewasrecordedonstandardizedforms.Completeepidemiologicalandclinicaldatawereobtainedfor147patients.Results:Themeanageofallpoisonedpatients(mean?±SD)was2.93?±3.05years,andtheagerangewas0.12to14years.Ofthese,59children(86.8%)wereunderfiveyearsofage.Slightlymoreboysthangirlswerepoisonedatagesofmorethan10years(8.5%vs.4.68%).Themajorityofallcaseswereduetoaccidentalpoisoning(86.8%ofallpoisoning),whichoccurredmostlyinchildrenunderfiveyearsold(93%).Medications(37.41%),kero-sene(23.12),opium/hashish(17.68%),agriculturalpesticides(6.8%),unknownsubstances(5.44%),andcaustic/corrosivesubstances(4.76%)werethemostfrequentpoisoningagents.Thefrequencydistributionshowsthatthemajorityofparentsofpoisonedchildrenhadbelowgradeschoollevelsofliteracy(84.6%),whileonly6%ofparentshadcollegiateliteracy.conclusion:Mostofthepoisoningswereduetoaccidentalingestionsbyinfantsandprimaryschoolagechildren,withoutanygenderpredilection.Medications(especiallybenzodiazepi-nes),opium/hashish,andkerosenewerethemostcommonlyingestedagents.Themajorityofparentsofpoisonedpatientshadbelowgradeschoollevelsofliteracy,soearlyawarenessofpoisoningandappropriatetherapeuticmeasurestakenwouldappeartobeefficaciousinreducingtheincidenceofacutepoisoningandthemortalityrate.