ABSTRACT

Accidental pediatric poisoning (APP) is an important public health issue in both the developed and developing parts of the world. It continues to affect a number of children, but in Pakistan and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), few measures have been taken to counter it. As many of these children present to the Emergency Department (ED), the aim of our review was to analyze the biomedical literature regarding childhood-related accidental poisoning in general and in Pakistan and similar countries, in particular, with an emphasis on their emergency departments. We focused on children aged 0–5 years. This attempt was intended to be a first step toward gaining a better grasp of the epidemiology, following which we wish to suggest a simple management strategy. Additionally, we aim to identify the most common accidentally ingested agents in young children in Pakistan and assess the risk factors for poisoning and the efficacy of possible interventions. Given that accidental ingestions are entirely avoidable, we have focused on preventative steps and treatment. We thus present suggestions in this perspective piece for tackling the problem in resource-limited countries in general, where there is an urgent need for it.

Keywords: Accidental poisoning, childhood poisoning, low-middle income countries, emergency department, Pakistan