Acute child poisoning and its related risk factors during the COVID era

Abstract

Background: Poisoning is an important emergency in pediatric age groups throughout the world. The causes and types of poisoning vary from place to place in the world and even within the same country, also depending upon factors such as education, demography, socioeconomic factors, customs, and local belief. Aim of this study : To determine the frequency, etiology, characteristics, clinical presentation, and outcome of acute poisoning in children presenting to the National Environmental and Clinical Toxicological Research Center (NECTR), Cairo University. Participants and Methods: The current study is a prospective cross-sectional study, conducted on 240 pediatric patients (under 18 years old) who presented with acute poisoning to National Environmental and Clinical Toxicological Research Center (NECTR), Cairo University over three months during the COVID episode. Data were statistically analyzed for; demographic data of the participating children, manner of toxicity, place of exposure, type of poison, its availability to the child, the form of poison, duration between exposure and presentation, and the first aid that may be done to the child. Also, the severity and mortality rate detected by poison severity scoring (PSS) and rate of admission to the center or ICU and outcome were analyzed. Results: The current study showed that the long stay-at-home and school absence during COVID episodes may cause an increased risk of pediatric poisoning with household poisons and medications even in educated families. Also, accidental toxicity (84.6%) is still more common than intentional toxicity (15.4%), with negligence being the most significant probable precipitating factor. The incidence significantly increased in children with educated worker fathers and in cases where only the mother is accompanying the children. In addition, the risk for ICU admission was significantly higher (51.4%) in adolescents (13 to <18 years) with intentional poisoning. Conclusion: Pediatric poisoning is an emergency condition with younger children (< 9 yrs.) are highly susceptible to accidental exposure, however, with older ages (9 to <18 years), the incidence of intentional poisoning and risk of bad outcome increases.