Abstract

Objective: In this study; we aimed to analyze of the intoxication cases demographic characteristics, causative agent, prognosis and length of intensive care unit stay, need for mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal support therapy treated in our pediatric intensive care unit over a two-year period.

Material and Methods: The medical records of 138 patients who accepted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) due to intoxication from 1 January 2017- 31 December 2018, were evaluated retrospectively according to their demographic characteristics, etiology, time until admission to the emergency service, length of stay in the PICU and total length of stay in the hospital.

Results: Seventy-four (53.6%) of 138 patients who were admitted to the PICU due to intoxication were female and 64 patients were male (46.4%). The mean age was 118.4±67.4 month. 34.8% of poisoning cases were accidental, 50.8% were suicidal and 14.4% were synthetic cannabinoid, alcohol or drug abuse. 106 (76.8%) of cases were drug-related intoxication, while 23.2% were the non-drug-related. Central nervous system drugs were the most common agent in drug-related poisoning, however, synthetic cannabinoids were the most common agent in nondrug-related poisoning. The mean duration of stay in the PICU was 2.2±1.2 days and the mortality rate was 2.1%.

Conclusion: Childhood poisonings are one of the most common causes of hospital admissions. Early detection of poisoning and appropriate treatment are life-saving. Preventive measures such as family education, storage of medicines out of the reach of children, and non-prescription drugs are important. In our study, the rate of intoxication with substance misuse was found to be high. Family structure, socio-cultural and environmental factors are the determinants of substance misuse. Family relations, public awareness, and government policies play a key role in preventing substance misuse.

Keywords: Intoxications, pediatric intensive care unit, synthetic cannabinoid

References

  1. Akgül F. Er A. Çelik FÇ. Çağlar A. Ulusoy E. Yılmaz D ve ark. Çocukluk Çağı Zehirlenmelerinin Geriye Dönük Olarak İncelenmesi. J Pediatr Emerg Intensive Care Med 2016;3:91-6.
  2. Sahin S. Carmen KB. Dinleyici EC. Acute poisoning in children; data of a pediatric emergency unit. Iran J Pediatr 2011;21:479-84
  3. Araz C. Toklucu MÖ. Nizamoğlu M. Pala E. Ümraniye Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Çocuk Acil Servise Başvuran Zehirlenme Olgularının Değerlendirilmesi. Bakırköy Tıp Dergisi 2017;13:57-64
  4. Özcan N. İkincioğulları D. Ulusal zehir danışma merkezi 2008 yılı çalışma raporu Özeti. Türk Hij Den Biyol Derg. 2009;66 (Özel Sayı 3):29-58.
  5. Hatipoğlu NŞ. Adolesanlarda psikososyal gelişim. Turkiye Klinikleri J Fam Med-Special Topics 2013;4:12-5.
  6. Üstü Y. Uğurlu M. Ergenlik döneminde ruhsal sağlık ve yaşam kalitesi. Turkiye Klinikleri J Fam Med-Special Topics 2014;5:59-63.
  7. Yalaki Z. Çakır İ. Taşar MA. Yalçın N. Bilge YD. Anne ve ergenlerdeki depresif belirtilerin ergen intiharları ile ilişkisi. Dicle Tıp Dergisi 2012;39:350-8.
  8. Johnson LA. Parsons ME. Adolescent suicide prevention in a school setting use of a gatekeeper program. NASN Sch Nurse 2012;27:312-7.
  9. Lee H. Lin HJ. Yeh ST. Chi CH. Guo HR. Presentations of patients of poisoning and predictors of poisoning-related fatality: findings from a hospital-based prospective study. BMC Public Health 2008;8:7
  10. Ozdel O. Varma G. Atesci FC. Oguzhanoglu NK. Karadag F. Amuk T. Characteristics of suicidal behavior in a Turkish sample. Crisis 2009;30:90-3.
  11. Ozdemir R. Bayrakci B. Tekşam O. Yalçin B. Kale G. Thirty-three-year experience on childhood poisoning. Turk J Pediatr 2012;54:251-9.
  12. Tekerek NÜ. Dursun A. Akyıldız BN. Çocuk Yoğun Bakım Ünitesinde Takip Edilen Zehirlenme Olgularının Geriye Dönük Değerlendirilmesi. J Pediatr Emerg Intensive Care Med 2016;3:21-6.
  13. Öntürk AY. Uçar B. Eskişehir bölgesinde çocukluk çağı zehirlenmelerinin retrospektif değerlendirilmesi. Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Dergisi 2003;46:103-13.
  14. Neighbors B. Kempton T. Forehand R. Co-occurence of substance abuse with conduct. anxiety. and depression disorders in juvenile delinquents. Addic Behav 1992;17:379-86.
  15. Crosby R. Salazar LF. Diclemente RJ. Yarber WL. Caliendo AM. Staples-Home M. Health risk factors among detained adolescent females. Am J Prev Med 2004;27:40410.
  16. Güler N. Güler G. Ulusoy H. Bekar M. Lise öğrencileri arasında sigara. alkol kullanımı ve intihar düşüncesi sıklığı. Cumhuriyet M J 2009;31:340-5.
  17. Kabasakal U. Elazığ’da İntihar Olaylarının Sosyolojik Analizi. Elazığ: F.Ü. Sosyal Bil. Enst. Doktora Tezi 2005
  18. Manzar N. Saad SM. Manzar B. Fatima SS. The study of etiological and demographic characteristics of acute household accidental poisoning in children-a consecutive case series study from Pakistan. BMC Pediatr 2010;10:28.
  19. Lin YR. Wu TK. Liu TA. Chou CC. Wu HP. Poison exposure and outcome of children admitted to a pediatric emergency department. World J Pediatr 2011;7:143-9.
  20. Yorulmaz A. Akbulut H. Yahya İ. Aktaş R. Emiroğlu HH. Peru H. Çocuk Acil Servisine Zehirlenme Nedeni ile başvuran Olguların Geriye Dönük olarak Değerlendirilmesi. J Pediatr Emerg Intensive Care Med 2017; 4: 96-103.
  21. Ağın H. Çalkavur Ş. Olukman Ö. Ural R. Bak M. Çocukluk çağında zehirlenmeler: Son 2 yıldaki olguların değerlendirilmesi. J Pediatr 2002; 11:186-96.
  22. Yılmaz HL. Derme T. Yıldızdaş D. Alhan E. Çukurova bölgesindeki çocukluk çağı zehirlenme olgularının değerlendirilmesi. Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Dergisi 2009;52:68-74.
  23. Even KM. Armsby CC. Bateman ST. Poisonings requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit: A 5-year review. Clin Toxicol 2014;52:519-24.
  24. Jayashree M. Singhi S. Changing trends and predictors of outcome in patients with acute poisoning admitted to the intensive care. J Trop Pediatr 2011;57:340-6.

Copyright and license

Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

1.
Emeksiz S, Perk O. Childhood Intoxications: Are we aware of the danger?. Turk J Pediatr Dis [Internet]. 2020 Nov. 30 [cited 2025 Aug. 23];14(6):465-70. Available from: https://turkjpediatrdis.org/article/view/641