WL Yip, HW Ng, ML Tse, FL Lau

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the epidemiology of paediatric poisoning in Hong Kong. Design: Retrospective review. Setting: The cases of Hong Kong Poison Information Centre (HKPIC). Participants: All poisoning cases involving patients with age less than 18 years old during the period of July 2005 to June 2008. Main Outcome Measures: Demographic data, type of poison involved, reason of poisoning, management, disposal, and final outcome of patients. Results: Totally 1002 cases were included and analysed. Thirty-five percent and 31% of patients were in age group of 1-3 and 15-17 respectively. Sixty-four percent of toddlers were male, while 72% of adolescents were female. Younger patients usually had accidental exposure, while older patients often had intentional exposure. Pharmaceutical agents were involved in most patients, with use of analgesics being the commonest. Most patients experienced no adverse effects or presented with a benign course. Overall mortality of our study was 0.3%, with no permanent disability in survivors. Conclusion: Male toddlers tend to have accidental exposure, while female teenagers tend to have intentional ingestion. Medical practitioners should be aware of those with toxic exposure and provide prompt and appropriate care.