@article{ref1,
title="Some epidemiological observations on medicinal and non-medicinal poisoning in preschool children",
journal="Journal of epidemiology and community health",
year="1992",
author="Ferguson, J. A. and Sellar, C. and Goldacre, M. J.",
volume="46",
number="3",
pages="207-210",
abstract="STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to identify and compare rates of admission to hospital of preschool children for medicinal and non-medicinal poisoning in a defined population. DESIGN--The study was an analysis of computerised abstracts of hospital inpatient records for poisoning. SETTING--Six districts in southern England covered by the Oxford record linkage study. SUBJECTS--The subjects were children under six years of age residing in the six districts from 1975 to 1986. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--6152 children, drawn from an average annual resident population of 164,000 children in 1975-1986, experienced 6562 hospital admissions for poisoning before six years; 3702 (56.4%) were attributed to medicinal and 2860 (43.6%) to non-medicinal agents. Of the latter, 646 (9.8% of the total) were recorded under the International classification of diseases code, described as &quot;noxious food&quot; (almost exclusively plant material). Average annual admission rates in children under six were 1.88 per 1000 for medicinal agents and 1.45 for non-medicinal substances. Analgesics accounted for 28.1% of the admissions for medicinal poisoning; berries and mushrooms for 97.4% of the plant materials; and corrosive aromatics, acids and alkalis for 22.0% of the other non-medicinals. Admission rates were higher in males than females in each category of poisoning. In children aged 1-4 years there was a significant decrease in admission rates between 1975 and 1986, averaging per annum 5.8% for medicinal poisoning, 6.9% for non-medicinal poisoning (excluding plant material), and 12.8% for plant material poisoning. Significant seasonal variation was found for each class of poisoning. CONCLUSIONS--Admission rates for medicinal and non-medicinal poisoning in preschool children declined between 1975 and 1986. The decline could reflect a change in thresholds for admission although, if so, this would be against the general trend in paediatric medical admissions, which is upward. An alternative explanation is a decline in the incidence of poisoning.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0143-005X",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}