Acute Poisoning in Children: A Hospital-Based Study in Arak, Iran (2008-2012)

Background: Poisoning is one of the important reasons for children’s admission to hospital. Knowledge of epidemiology of poisoning in each region plays an important role in planning prevention, care, and treatment of patients. This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of acute poisoning epidemiology in children attending pediatric wards of Amirkabir Hospital in Arak in a five-year period (March 2008 to March 2012). Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 224 children admitted for poisoning. Data were retrospectively collected from patients’ files and analyzed using SPSS 16 software. Results: Of the total population, 54.9% were boys and the rest were girls. Mean age of children was 3.54±2.99 years, and the most common age range was 1-3 years (50.9%). The highest rate of children’s admission due to poisoning was in the winter (30.8%). The most common causes of poisoning included drugs (65.2%), kerosene (7.1%), and food poisoning (5.4%). The most common poisoning drugs, included benzodiazepines (21.9%), gastrointestinal drugs (19.9%), opioid analgesics (15.1%). The most prevalent drugs were methadone, metoclopramide, and clonazepam. At admission, the most common presenting symptoms were neurological (51.3%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (38.4%). Conclusion: High prevalence of poisoning with groups of drugs mentioned could indicate community-wide excessive use of these drugs, as well as negligence of families in keeping them out of children’s reach. Therefore, raising knowledge and awareness about variety of poisoning and how to prevent them, through holding workshops, national media, schools, and health centers can be a valuable step toward upkeep of children’s health.