title: Emergency visits for childhood poisoning: a 2-year prospective multicenter survey in Spain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the characteristics of childhood poisoning leading to consultation to 17 pediatric emergency departments in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 2-year period (January 2001 to December 2002), accompanying people of 2157 children with acute intoxication who visited consecutively at the emergency room were prospectively surveyed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Childhood poisoning accounted for 0.28% of all emergency visits during the study period. The median (interquartile range, 25th-75th percentile) age was 24 months (22-60 months); 67% of children were younger than 4 years. Drug ingestion was involved in 54.7% of cases (paracetamol was the most frequent drug), domestic products in 28.9%, alcohol in 5.9%, carbon monoxide in 4.5%, and illicit drugs in 1.5%. A total of 61.3% of patients were admitted within 1 hour after exposure to the toxic substance, and 10.3% had been already treated before arrival; 29.1% of patients were referred for clinical manifestations which were mostly neurological symptoms. Laboratory tests and other investigations were performed in 40.7% of cases. Gastrointestinal decontamination was used in 51.7% of patients, with activated charcoal in 32.3%. Treatment varied significantly according to the individual hospitals. A total of 83.3% of patients were treated as outpatients, 15.2% were hospitalized, and 1.5% were admitted to the intensive care unit. One 11-month-old boy with carbon monoxide intoxication died. Six patients had permanent sequelae (esophageal stenosis in 5 and partial blindness in 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young children who accidentally ingested drugs and, less frequently, domestic products accounted for most cases of intoxication who presented at the pediatric emergency department.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain. smintegui@hcru.osakidetza.net
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mintegi
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alustiza
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Canduela
authors.forename: Isidro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mongil
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caubet
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clerigué
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herranz
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fanjul
authors.forename: Porfirio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humayor
authors.forename: Joseba
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landa
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lasarte
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pou
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vázquez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006795:Household Products / Q000506:poisoning; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000506:poisoning; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D000431:Ethanol