ABSTRACT

To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of intoxications in our region, to illuminate measures, and to contribute to the national survey.

Medical records of 366 cases who were diagnosed as intoxications during 2013 in the pediatric emergency department were reviewed retrospectively.

A total of 80,833 patients were admitted to pediatric emergency department in 2013. The ratio of poisoning cases to all pediatric emergency admissions was 0.4%; 184 (50.2%) cases were female, 182 (49.8%) cases were male, and the mean age was 5.7±1.4 years. Also, 56.8% of patients were under 5 years old. Most (95.7%) cases were accidental, while 4.3% of them were suicides. The common causes of intoxication were medications and scorpion envenomation. The most common pharmacological agents that caused intoxication were analgesics and antidepressants. The most common clinical findings were vomiting (24.3%), nausea (20.2%), abdominal pain (13.6%) and headache (11.4%). Supportive treatments were applied to 90.1% of patients, and antidotes were used in 4.9% of patients. A patient with a scorpion sting died due to cardio-pulmonary insufficiency.

In our region, the most common poisoning agents were drugs and scorpion stings. Education of parents may decrease acute intoxication cases causing morbidity and mortality.

Keywords: Adiyaman, childhood, emergency department, poisoning