Intoxications presenting to the Infant Emergency Service of the Dr. Félix Bulnes Cerda Hospital

Abstract

Objective: A prospective study was conducted from March 2000 until March 2001 at the emergency unit of the Félix Bulnes Cerda Hospital to determine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children presenting with acute poisoning. 

Method: A specially designed questionnaire was completed for all children attending with intoxication and revision of all clinical charts with a diagnosis corresponding with intoxication was done. 

Results: 414 children were treated for acute poisoning (0.49%) of a total of 89,616 paedriatric cases. Most cases occurred in children between 1 and 5 years (74.5%). Significant differences of sex were only found in schoolchildren. Poisoning was accidental in 85% of cases, occurring between 9 am and 12 pm (94.4%), most of them at home (91.5%), the first consultation occurred before 2 hours in 79.1% of cases and 11.4% were hospitalized. The principal substances involved were; drugs 42.3%, hydrocarbons, 24.3%, chlorine 14.4%, and caustic substances 5.3%. In infants under 2 years the hydrocarbons produced 46.2% of poisonings and in older children 62.5% were caused by drugs (mostly psychotropic agents). 

Conclusions: Since most intoxications occur at home and with ingestion of pharmaceutic drugs, education and prevention programmes must be carried out to decrease and prevent access of children to these products.