title: Comparative outcome analysis of home-initiated non-medical interventions among toddlers with orally ingested substances.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poison management guidelines recommend contacting or visiting poison centers directly after exposure. However, some parents initiated non-medical interventions on their children before visiting these centers. Aim was to evaluate the clinical and hospital outcomes of such practices among toddlers with orally ingested medication or chemical substances at a tertiary care facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort, based on four-arm outcome analysis. Exposures were gender, age, body mass index, arrival time to facility (hours) presented in Median [Interquartile range]. Clinical outcomes were vital signs, physical examination, diagnostic tests; Hospital outcomes were in-hospital admission, length of hospital stay (hours) presented in Median [Interquartile range], hospital cost ($US). Bivariate analysis (nonparametric tests), binary logistic/linear regression were conducted. Significance at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2009-2011, 165 (all previously healthy) toddlers were (Males = 58 %, females = 42 %) and had normal weights in 70 %. Witnessed incidents were in 85 %. Two control groups [Medication (control) = 72, Chemical (control) = 48] directly visited the facility after incident, while two intervention groups [Medication (intervention) = 27, Chemical (intervention) = 18] received orally administered water, salt/sugar solutes, milk/yogurt, lemon juice and/or manually induced vomiting before the visit. Abnormal clinical outcomes in total were in vital signs = 15 %, physical examination = 42 % and diagnostic tests = 26 %; hospital outcomes were admission = 16 %, length of stay range (2 hours-7.5 days), cost range (667-11,500). Bivariate analysis: Length of stay in Medication (intervention) = 9[5.4-12.0] hours significantly higher than Medication (control) = 5[2.7-7.5] hours, p = 0.003; abnormal physical examination in Chemical (intervention) = 77.8 % significantly higher than Chemical (control) = 37.5 %, p = 0.004. In regression: intervention significantly increased length of stay (t = 0.213, adj. P = 0.035); lower weight toddlers were at higher risk of admission (Beta = -0.51, adj. P = 0.018); delayed arrival time significantly increased abnormal physical examination (Beta = 0.29, adj. P = 0.003). No significant control/intervention group differences regarding abnormal vital signs (adj. P = 0.148), physical examination (adj. P = 0.781), diagnostic tests (adj. P = 0.285), admission (adj. P = 0.499), and cost (adj. P = 0.102).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Home-initiated non-medical interventions didn't improve the clinical and hospital outcomes. It has delayed the arrival time to emergency department, which added the risk of encountering abnormal physical examination, and in return increased the average length of hospital stay.
authors.affiliation: Drug Policy and Economic Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. anizim1@ngha.med.sa.
authors.forename: Menyfah Q
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Alanazi
authors.affiliation: King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. jeraisym@ngha.med.sa.|King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. jeraisym@ngha.med.sa.
authors.forename: Majed I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Al-Jeraisy
authors.affiliation: King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. salamma@ngha.med.sa.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salam
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011041:Poisoning / Q000451:nursing*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013997:Time Factors