title: Toxic exposure of children in 2004--telephone service of toxicology.
abstract: 509 toxicological telephone inquiries concerning children under 15 years have been provided by Kraków Poison Information Centre (PIC) in the year 2004. Medication drugs were involved in almost one half (n=208) the cases noted. 63.7% of calls concerned children under 4 years with a two-year-old group predominance. The main reason for poisoning in children under 4 were pharmaceuticals (42.6%), followed by pesticides (9.8%), corrosives (8.8%), hydrocarbons (8.1%), plants (5.5%) and detergents (3.7%); all exposure were accidental. Suicide attempts reached 32.3% in the 12-14 age group. In that group also a cases of psychoactive substances overdosing were noted. Most exposures in children reported to poison centre were accidental (87.2%). Thus, it is absolutely necessary to intensify prevention and education activity both for parents and primary school children to avoid the poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland. oit@cm-uj.krakow.pl
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szkolnicka
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitrus
authors.forename: Jowanka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morawska
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Satora
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Targosz
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000592:standards*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000592:standards; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013689:Telephone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data