title: Evaluation of changes in poisoning in young children: 2000 to 2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The nature of pediatric poisonings is dynamic, with changes occurring over time. We evaluated poisoning in children younger than 6 years for trends during an 11-year period regarding the substances involved in the poisoning, medical outcomes, and health care use.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was retrospective study of poisoning in children younger than 6 years reported to 12 poison centers in 5 U.S. states for the years 2000 through 2010. Data abstracted included substance category involved in the exposure, age of patient, year of occurrence, location of patient management, and medical outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 2,577,036 poison exposures in children younger than 6 years, with a 12.4% increase from 210,270 poison exposures in 2000 to 236,425 poison exposures in 2010. There was a 33% increase (P < 0.05) in pharmaceutical related exposures in children younger than 6 years and a 2.8% decline in the number of nonpharmaceutical related exposures. Among those substance categories representing more than 1% of exposures, the only pharmaceutical showing decline was cough/cold preparations. There was a 53% increase in serious medical outcomes, including 119 deaths and a significant increase in health care facility use, primarily owing to pharmaceutical exposures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poisoning in young children increasingly involves pharmaceuticals and is associated with an increased number of serious outcomes and children treated in a health care facility. We believe that these changes are related to increased availability of medications in the home and poison prevention education efforts should include a focus on the availability of these products to small children.
authors.affiliation: Central Ohio Poison Center, Columbus, OH 43205, USA. haspiller5@gmail.com
authors.forename: Henry Alfred
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Spiller
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Beuhler
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Borys
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aleguas
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Bosse
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D019468:Disease Management; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006795:Household Products / Q000506:poisoning; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000506:poisoning; D010575:Pesticides / Q000506:poisoning; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000506:poisoning; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010575:Pesticides; D055553:Prescription Drugs