An evaluation of childhood intoxications in the region of Rize, Turkey

Introduction: Intoxication may be defined as injury caused by the entry into the body of a toxic substance or by a high dose of a substance that is not toxic in normal doses, or as exposure to a substance causing side-effects on any function of the organism. Intoxications are preventable causes of morbidity and mortality among childhood emergency diseases. Agents of intoxication vary depending on age, sex, the family’s education level, the customs and traditions of the region involved and the season. Therefore, every country needs to establish its own intoxication profile in order to be able to adopt measures against the risks and hazards facing it. Method: Our study was performed through a retrospective examination of the medical records of cases of intoxication presenting to the Rize Training and Research Hospital and Rize Public Hospital emergency departments between January 2015 and January 2016. Results: 187 cases of intoxication presented to the emergency departments of the two hospitals over a 1-year period. Mean age at presentation was6.1±5.3 (1-17) years, and the largest number of presentations, 109 (58%), was observed in the 1-5 age group. Assessment of agents of intoxication included drugs in 109 cases(58.6%), followed by chemical substances in 44 cases(23.7%), food poisoning in 15(8.1%) and gases in 10(5.4%). The most common agents among medications were non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs at 9.7%. Discussion: Since morbidity and mortality rates are high in acute intoxications in the pediatric age group, early diagnosis and treatment are very important. It is therefore important for etiological and demographic characteristics to be known. Physicians in pediatric emergency departments need to be informed, equipped and in a state of readiness for cases of intoxication. Antidotes suited to regional epidemiological characteristics must be kept on hand in emergency departments and appropriate intensive care conditions must be available.