title: [An epidemiological study of poisoning in children under 18 years old in the Bloemfontein area].
abstract: An epidemiological study of the incidence of poisoning in children in the Bloemfontein area during 1 year was carried out. Deliberate and accidental poisonings were studied relative to: (i) age and sex of poisoned children; (ii) type of poison involved; and (iii) the time the poisoning occurred. This study showed that deliberate poisoning occurred more frequently in girls than in boys (67.5% v. 32.5%), that accidental poisoning occurred mostly in the preschool years and then more frequently in boys than in girls (65.1% v. 34.9%) and that drugs were involved in most poisonings.
authors.affiliation: Departement Farmakologie, Universiteit van die Oranje-Vrystaat, Bloemfontein.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: van der Merwe
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Botha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology