EvaluatIon of toxIcItIes seen In young and older chIldren [Altı yaş ve altındaki çocuklarda ve altı yaşından büyük çocuklarda karşılaşılan zehirlenmelerin araştırılması]

Abstract

All children may face intoxication with drugs and other substances. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the children hospitalized with toxicities at pediatric clinic in a hospital. Children were divided into two groups according to the age, i.e. 6 years and younger and older than 6. Seventy five medical records of hospitalized children, diagnosed with toxicity during year of 2011, were evaluated retrospectively in Pediatric Clinic, Haydarpaşa Numune Training-Research Hospital. Substances and causes of toxicities, timing of toxicity, admitting time to hospital, duration of hospitalization, prognosis and patients' demographic characteristics were evaluated. Cases between 2-6 year ages (younger group) were compared with the ones aged between 7-15 year (older group). There was no deaths due to toxicity in the study period. The main cause was drug intoxication with 88% (most frequent drug was paracetamol, 13.8%) and the most common drugs were neurological agents (52.9%). Mainly causes of toxicities were accidents (80%) and suicides (18.7%). The incidence of intoxications seen in girls (50.7%) was nearly the same with the ones in boys, but total intoxications due to suicides were more frequent in girls (85.7%) than the boys. Boys were higher in younger group although girls were higher in older group (p<0.05). Following intoxications, younger children were admitted to the hospital earlier than the older ones (p<0.05). Age related differences are important in childhood toxicities. Managements are required to enlighten children and their parents to pay attention for intoxications with drugs especially affecting the neurological sign.