Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Acute Poisoning in Children in Southwestern China: A Review of 1755 Cases from 2014 to 2020

PURPOSE: Acute poisoning is a major cause of disability and death in children, but there is a lack of large-scale and multicenter epidemiological data on acute poisoning in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The current study was a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 1755 children aged 0 to 14 years who were hospitalized between 01 January 2014 and 31 December 2020 in southwestern China. RESULTS: Acute poisoning was common in childhood, particularly in early childhood (607; 34.6%) and preschool (655; 37.3%), and most cases occurred in rural areas (1191; 67.9%). It was more common in boys (934; 53.2%) than in girls (821; 46.8%). In urban areas, poisoning was mainly caused by drugs (266; 47.2%), chemical agents (59; 10.5%), and alcohol (54; 9.6%). In rural areas, it was mainly caused by pesticides (620; 52.1%) and medications (213; 17.9%), the route of poisoning was usually the digestive tract (1671; 95.2%), in most cases the poisoning was accidental (1618; 92.3%), and pesticides (659; 37.5%) and medications (479; 27.3%) predominated. After timely treatment, the majority of patients had no substantial organ damage, sequelae, or disabilities, and mortality was low (17; 1.0%). CONCLUSION: Acute poisoning is a frequent accident in childhood, mainly in infants and preschool children, mostly in rural areas, and poisoning mostly occurs via the digestive tract. Family and community education should be conducted to prevent poisoning.