title: Pediatric poisonings in Israel: National Poison Center data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poisonings are a significant cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. The Israel Poison Information Center provides clinical consultations on poisonings and drug information 24 hours a day.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the epidemiologic characteristics of pediatric poison exposures in Israel.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed computerized queries and performed a descriptive analysis of the Poison Center database pertaining to patients under 18 years old during 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 15,005 pediatric poison exposures were recorded, 80.3% of them occurring in children under 6 years old. Of the calls to the Poison Center, 78.6% were made by the public, 20.7% by physicians, and in 74.4% the call was within 2 hours of exposure. Most exposures occurred at home (89.3%) and were unintentional (89.5%). Among adolescents, most exposures were intentional (49.3%, 38.2% suicides), the time lapse until consultation was longer (37% > 2 hours), and more physicians (54.8%) consulted the Poison Center. Most cases were asymptomatic or mildly affected (92.3%), 54.4% in adolescents. The commonest substances involved in single poison exposure were detergents, antimicrobials, topical preparations, acetaminophen and scale removers; in adolescents the most common substances were acetaminophen, methylphenidate, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, atropine and ethanol. Moderate to severe toxicity was commonly associated with organophosphates, alkali, ethanol, Vipera palaestinae and neuroleptics. Most patients could be observed at home (66.6%), while more adolescents were referred to emergency departments (42.2% vs. 9.9%) or hospitalized (14.5% vs. 1.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric poisonings are a significant health problem. The magnitude of the problem is greater in the young age group but more severe in adolescence, probably due to deliberate self-poisoning. Greater national efforts should be directed towards improved poison prevention, rational management of pediatric poisoning, and creating a national poisoning registry.
authors.affiliation: Israel Poison Information Center, Rambam Health Care Campus, affiliated with Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-lsrael Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. d_bentur@rambam.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Yedidia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bentur
authors.forename: Natalia Desiatnic
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Obchinikov
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cahana
authors.forename: Nona
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kovler
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bloom-Krasik
authors.forename: Ophir
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lavon
authors.forename: Bella
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gurevych
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lurie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011039:Poison Control Centers; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors