title: Evaluation of changing patterns in children poisonings and prevention.
abstract: Poisoning prevention strategies have to be modified according to the risk variations with age and time. Epidemiologic surveillance usefulness was confirmed by studying the 0-15 y-old children in the Trieste area from 1976-1987. Significant differences were observed in children under 5 due to an increase in caustic substance and home detergents poisoning and a decrease in analgesic-antipyretics ingestion. This was probably due to the introduction by law in our country of child-resistant containers and to a better awareness by parents. At 10 y-of-age and older, alcohol is the cause of most intoxications and more recently benzodiazepine poisonings have significantly increased. At this age poisoning results from deliberate ingestion in most cases; therefore education should be the main preventive strategy.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto Per L' Infanzia-Trieste, Servizio di Pronto Soccorso e Primo Accoglimento, Italy.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loschi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000506:poisoning; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011042:Poisons / Q000145:classification*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011042:Poisons; D001569:Benzodiazepines