Poisoning in childhood and adolescence: a study of 111 cases admitted to a military hospital.
One hundred eleven cases of poisoning (over a 4 1/2-year period) were retrospectively reviewed at a military medical center. Results of the review included the following: (1) two peak age ranges for poisoning were identified: the 1 1/2- to 4-year-old child who accidently ingests both drugs and non-drugs, and the female adolescent who ingests drugs as a suicide attempt or gesture; (2) hydrocarbons and aspirin were the most common agents ingested; however, if grouped, drugs with anticholinergic effects would replace aspirin as the second most common poison; (3) emergency treatment included emesis or lavage in four fifths of poisonings except in ingestions of hydrocarbons or caustics where its use is controversial; (4) incidence of recurrence of poison ingestion was three percent, and morbidity and mortality combined were less than one percent; and (5) two thirds of patients were asymptomatic on admission and hospitalized primarily for observation.
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000506:poisoning; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000506:poisoning; D008297:Male; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000506:poisoning; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012459:Salicylates / Q000506:poisoning; D012737:Sex Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000453:epidemiology
D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D012459:Salicylates; D007501:Iron