title: Severity grading of childhood poisoning: the Multicentre Study of Poisoning in Children (MSPC) score.
abstract: Scores for severity grading of childhood poisoning may be useful in comparing different causes of poisoning, in order to identify the main risks and their changes over time. The Multicentre Study of Poisoning in Children score is based on four levels of severity (1-mild, 2-moderate, 3-severe, 4-very severe) involving nine target groups: seven relating to organ systems (gastrointestinal, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, renal, hepatic, skin), one to metabolic abnormalities and one to injuries from corrosive substances. Each patient is classified by the highest level attributed to any one of the nine groups. The score has been prospectively tested in 644 symptomatic children, aged 0-13 years, admitted to six pediatric hospitals of Northern Italy from January 1, 1991 to December 31, 1993. Poisoning was categorized as mild (1) in 357 children (53.8%), moderate (2) in 285 (42.9%), severe (3) in 18 (2.7%) and very severe (4) in 4 (0.6%). No deaths occurred. Severity grading according to The Multicentre Study of Poisoning in Children score confirms the prevalence of mild and moderate poisonings in children; the score seems to be an objective method suitable for epidemiological studies in different countries. Its clinical usefulness deserves more investigation.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto per l'Infanzia, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bet
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Peisino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vietti-Ramus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raspino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Pietro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cantini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiandetti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Da Dalt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011041:Poisoning / Q000145:classification*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index