Acute drug intoxication in childhood: a 10-year retrospective observational single-centre study and case reports
Background. Medication poisoning in children is a severe condition that can endanger a child's life. Although drug intoxications are easily preventable, awareness of the proper handling of drugs and their safe storage out of the reach of children is not widespread among the general public. In t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Palacký University Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Biomedical Papers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://biomed.papers.upol.cz/artkey/bio-202303-0011_acute-drug-intoxication-in-childhood-a-10-year-retrospective-observational-single-centre-study-and-case-report.php |
| _version_ | 1797674875523956736 |
|---|---|
| author | Petra Matalova Michal Buchta Vendula Drietomska Alena Spicakova Martin Wawruch Peter Ondra Karel Urbanek |
| author_facet | Petra Matalova Michal Buchta Vendula Drietomska Alena Spicakova Martin Wawruch Peter Ondra Karel Urbanek |
| author_sort | Petra Matalova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background. Medication poisoning in children is a severe condition that can endanger a child's life. Although drug intoxications are easily preventable, awareness of the proper handling of drugs and their safe storage out of the reach of children is not widespread among the general public. In this work, we investigated the demographic and clinical data of children admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the University Hospital Olomouc for acute drug-induced intoxication. We also selected several case reports to illustrate the wide range of both presentations and outcomes in individual patients.
Method. Cases of drug-induced intoxications were selected from a group of patients under the age of 19 years admitted to the hospital for poisoning between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. Medical records of these patients were prospectively evaluated, and overview tables and graphs of predefined research objectives were created.
Results. During the given time period, 162 children with suspected drug intoxications were hospitalized at the Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Olomouc. Of these, 108 cases were reported in girls and 54 in boys (66.7% vs. 33.3%). In 16 cases (9.9%), there was a severe intoxication requiring follow-up intensive care. There was also one case of fatal accidental intoxication. Most poisonings were seen in toddlers (65; 40.1%). Intoxication with suicidal ideation was found in 44 cases (27.2%), with a higher incidence of suicide attempts in girls (40 vs. 4). Repeated intoxication was recorded in nine cases. Analgesics were the most common drug group (61; 37.7%), with paracetamol (28; 17.3%) being the leading drug. In 154 cases (95.1%), the drugs were taken orally, most often in the form of tablets.
Conclusion. Accidental drug intoxications most frequently occurred in the age group from one to three years old. The second highest incidence was among adolescents most of which were suicide attempts. Analgesics and psychoactive agents accounted for the majority of cases. Medications should be kept in places where children cannot reach them. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:05:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ffc1cba75eaf418094c0928428b46c03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1213-8118 1804-7521 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:05:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Palacký University Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomedical Papers |
| spelling | doaj.art-ffc1cba75eaf418094c0928428b46c032023-09-25T06:51:45ZengPalacký University Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and DentistryBiomedical Papers1213-81181804-75212023-09-01167329430210.5507/bp.2023.032bio-202303-0011Acute drug intoxication in childhood: a 10-year retrospective observational single-centre study and case reportsPetra Matalova0Michal Buchta1Vendula Drietomska2Alena Spicakova3Martin Wawruch4Peter Ondra5Karel Urbanek6Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech RepublicInstitute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovak RepublicDepartment of Forensic Medicine and Medical Law, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech RepublicBackground. Medication poisoning in children is a severe condition that can endanger a child's life. Although drug intoxications are easily preventable, awareness of the proper handling of drugs and their safe storage out of the reach of children is not widespread among the general public. In this work, we investigated the demographic and clinical data of children admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the University Hospital Olomouc for acute drug-induced intoxication. We also selected several case reports to illustrate the wide range of both presentations and outcomes in individual patients. Method. Cases of drug-induced intoxications were selected from a group of patients under the age of 19 years admitted to the hospital for poisoning between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. Medical records of these patients were prospectively evaluated, and overview tables and graphs of predefined research objectives were created. Results. During the given time period, 162 children with suspected drug intoxications were hospitalized at the Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Olomouc. Of these, 108 cases were reported in girls and 54 in boys (66.7% vs. 33.3%). In 16 cases (9.9%), there was a severe intoxication requiring follow-up intensive care. There was also one case of fatal accidental intoxication. Most poisonings were seen in toddlers (65; 40.1%). Intoxication with suicidal ideation was found in 44 cases (27.2%), with a higher incidence of suicide attempts in girls (40 vs. 4). Repeated intoxication was recorded in nine cases. Analgesics were the most common drug group (61; 37.7%), with paracetamol (28; 17.3%) being the leading drug. In 154 cases (95.1%), the drugs were taken orally, most often in the form of tablets. Conclusion. Accidental drug intoxications most frequently occurred in the age group from one to three years old. The second highest incidence was among adolescents most of which were suicide attempts. Analgesics and psychoactive agents accounted for the majority of cases. Medications should be kept in places where children cannot reach them.https://biomed.papers.upol.cz/artkey/bio-202303-0011_acute-drug-intoxication-in-childhood-a-10-year-retrospective-observational-single-centre-study-and-case-report.phpmedication poisoningdrug intoxicationchildrenadolescents |
| spellingShingle | Petra Matalova Michal Buchta Vendula Drietomska Alena Spicakova Martin Wawruch Peter Ondra Karel Urbanek Acute drug intoxication in childhood: a 10-year retrospective observational single-centre study and case reports Biomedical Papers medication poisoning drug intoxication children adolescents |
| title | Acute drug intoxication in childhood: a 10-year retrospective observational single-centre study and case reports |
| title_full | Acute drug intoxication in childhood: a 10-year retrospective observational single-centre study and case reports |
| title_fullStr | Acute drug intoxication in childhood: a 10-year retrospective observational single-centre study and case reports |
| title_full_unstemmed | Acute drug intoxication in childhood: a 10-year retrospective observational single-centre study and case reports |
| title_short | Acute drug intoxication in childhood: a 10-year retrospective observational single-centre study and case reports |
| title_sort | acute drug intoxication in childhood a 10 year retrospective observational single centre study and case reports |
| topic | medication poisoning drug intoxication children adolescents |
| url | https://biomed.papers.upol.cz/artkey/bio-202303-0011_acute-drug-intoxication-in-childhood-a-10-year-retrospective-observational-single-centre-study-and-case-report.php |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT petramatalova acutedrugintoxicationinchildhooda10yearretrospectiveobservationalsinglecentrestudyandcasereports AT michalbuchta acutedrugintoxicationinchildhooda10yearretrospectiveobservationalsinglecentrestudyandcasereports AT venduladrietomska acutedrugintoxicationinchildhooda10yearretrospectiveobservationalsinglecentrestudyandcasereports AT alenaspicakova acutedrugintoxicationinchildhooda10yearretrospectiveobservationalsinglecentrestudyandcasereports AT martinwawruch acutedrugintoxicationinchildhooda10yearretrospectiveobservationalsinglecentrestudyandcasereports AT peterondra acutedrugintoxicationinchildhooda10yearretrospectiveobservationalsinglecentrestudyandcasereports AT karelurbanek acutedrugintoxicationinchildhooda10yearretrospectiveobservationalsinglecentrestudyandcasereports |