Citation

Laila A.M. AM, Mohamed A.F. EG, Fayez M. H, Mohamed A.A. AA. MJFCT 2004; 12(1-2): 63-83.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Jamiat al-Mansurah. Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

The present work aimed to study the pattern and severity grading of acute poisning among children. The study included all children less than 15 years [n=1072] who were admitted to Alexandria Poison Center [APC] at Alexandria Main University Hospital during six months period [Julyy - December 2000]. Children less than 5 years accounted for 62.8% of the total children where toddlers were the most vulnerable. Early adolescents 10 < 15 years constituted 26.1%, where grils significantly exceeded boys. Children with low and moderate socioeconomic levels represented 64.0% and 20.1% respectively. Accidental poisoning accounted for the majority of children [81.5%]; all of them were less than 5 years. Attempted suicide represented 17.9%, while overdose by addicting drugs constituted 0.6%, all were boys and 10 < 15 years. Non-drug poisoning represented 74.3%, while poisoning by drugs accounted for 17.5%. Carbon monoxide poisoning, animal poisons [snakes and scorpions] and plant poisoning constituted 6.7%, 1.2% and 0.3% respectively. Accordding to multicenter Study of Poisoning in Children [MSPC] score, the study revealed that children with score 0 [asymptomatic] represented 26.2%, those with scores 1 and 2 [mild and moderate] constituted 37.3% and 32.0% respectively, while scores 3 and 4 i.e. severe and very severe poisoning accounted for 3.9% and 0.7% respectively. It was noticed that the MSPC Severity Score goes hand in hand with Matthew and Lawson scale [M and L scale], where severe grades of coma by M and L scale i.e grades 3 and 4 have moderate, severe and very severe poisoning by MSPC Score

Language: en