Article Text
Abstract
Objectives Study on the incidence of acute intoxications (AI) within general pathology and various parameters (sex, social environment, age, etiologic spectrum).
Material and Method A retrospective study of AI in the children aged 0–16 years, admitted to the 2nd Pediatric Clinic of the Emergency County Hospital Craiova from January 1st to December 31st 2011.
Results 95 children with various AI were admitted, representing 4.1% of the total admitted children; 41 (43.2%) presented acute involuntary intoxications (AII), while 54 (56.8%) acute voluntary intoxications (AVI).
AII: distribution of children according to sex M/F=27/14, social environment U/R=18/23, age group (years): 0–1/1–3/3–5/ 5–10/10–14/14–16=11/10/9/5/4/2; etiologic spectrum: drugs in 9 children, nitrates in 7, carbon monoxide 7, mushrooms 6, corrosive substances 5, insecticides/anti-parasitary 3, ethylic alcohol 2, medicinal alcohol 1, and acetone 1.
In AVI, the sex ratio was M/F=21/33, social environment U/R=27/27, age group (years): 5–10/10–14/14–16=12/17/25. Causes of AVI: drugs in 32, ethylic alcohol 12, ethno-botanical 4, corrosive substances 3, unknown causes 2, caffeine 1 case. There were registered 2 deaths because of nitrates intoxication, in rural infants, aged 1 and 2 months.
Average period of hospitalization (days): in AII 4.79±3.12 (1–16), in AVI 3.25±1.3 (1–10).
Conclusions AI represented 4.1% of the total admitted cases. Drugs represented the most frequent cause both in AII and AVI. AII were more frequent in males and rural areas; AVI prevailed in females. Deaths because of AI represented 2.1% of the total number of AI cases.