NITRATE POISONING IN INFANTS FROM DOBROGEA- ROMANIA

摘要

Infants for whom the tea or vegetables are prepared with water still remain a high-risk group for nitrate poisoning. A retrospective study between 2014-2019 was conducted on 23 patients (under 8 months old), diagnosed in the Pediatric Department of the Clinical County Emergency Hospital of Constanta with methemoglobinemia due to nitrate poisoning. Clinical examination data like medical history, symptoms, gender, and weight and food consumption were collected. Gasometry (i.e. pO(2), pCO(2), and pH) and nitrituria were also recorded. About 52.17% had methemoglobin (MetHb) between 10-31%, 34.78% had MetHb between 31-60% and 13.04% had MetHb between 61-70%. Out of the 12 girls and 11 boys, tachycardia was present only at the patients who presented MetHb between 61 and 70%. The weight of the infants varied between 8550 and 9900 g and all were from rural areas. On the day of admission, infants under 3 months were fed with milk formula (82.62%), those between 3-6 months received tea and milk formula (13.04%) and those at more than 6 months received puree of mixed vegetables (4.34%). Partial pressure of oxygen (pO(2)) seems to have slightly increased values in contrast with pCO(2), a normal pH level and the presence of nitrituria in all infants. Vitamin C administered intravenously was used in all cases as treatment. In order to prevent nitrate poisoning, public health measures must be implemented at the population level.