Advances in Pediatric Research
Open Access

Pediatric Poisoning

Acute Poisoning in children is still an important public health problem and represents a frequent cause of admission in emergency units. The incidence of childhood poisoning in various studies ranges from 0.33% to 7.6% . Poisoning is most commonly observed at 1–5 years of age and these children constitute 80% of all poisoning cases . In the first year of life, the main causes of poisoning are medications given by parents. At 2–3 years of age, house cleaning products cause most cases of poisoning, at 3–5 years of age, the medications kept in the cupboard or left open are the main causes of poisoning, and at school age and during adolescence, medications used for committing suicide are the main cause of poisoning .

The mortality rate due to poisoning is 3–5%. The pattern and main risks of acute poisoning change with time according to age, and they differ from country to country. Thus epidemiological surveillance specific for each country is necessary to determine the extent and characteristics of the problem, according to which related preventive measures can be taken.