Evaluation of changing patterns in children poisonings and prevention.
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TL;DR
Significant differences were observed in children under 5 due to an increase in caustic substance and home detergents poisoning and a decrease in analgesic-antipyretics ingestion and the introduction by law in this country of child-resistant containers and to a better awareness by parents.
Abstract
Poisoning prevention strategies have to be modified according to the risk variations with age and time. Epidemiologic surveillance usefulness was confirmed by studying the 0-15 y-old children in the Trieste area from 1976-1987. Significant differences were observed in children under 5 due to an increase in caustic substance and home detergents poisoning and a decrease in analgesic-antipyretics ingestion. This was probably due to the introduction by law in our country of child-resistant containers and to a better awareness by parents. At 10 y-of-age and older, alcohol is the cause of most intoxications and more recently benzodiazepine poisonings have significantly increased. At this age poisoning results from deliberate ingestion in most cases; therefore education should be the main preventive strategy.