Childhood poisoning at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.

OBJECTIVES

To record the number of children with poisoning admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital over one year; to note the causes, clinical and laboratory findings and outcome of each poisoning event and; to highlight any preventable pattern in such events.

DESIGN

A one year prospective study was undertaken of all children admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital with a history or clinical evidence of acute poisoning. Socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory data were recorded and outcome noted for each child on specially prepared forms. Data were entered and then analysed in Epi-Info 6.

SETTING

Department of Paediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.

INTERVENTIONS

Children were treated forpoisoning according to national guidelines; supportive care and active antidote were given as necessary.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Length of stay in hospital and mortality were primary outcome measures.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty four cases were admitted, 118 (82%) were accidental, in 19 cases the reason was unknown and six (4.2%) were non accidental. Carbonate poisoning caused 32% (n=46) of admissions and paraffin 16.7% (n=24). The age range of poisoned children was three weeks to 14 years with a mean of four years and eight months. Eleven deaths occurred, six of which were due to traditional medicine intoxication.

CONCLUSION

Most poisoning were preventable and the public needs to be made aware of the dangers of household agents, advised how to store them in the home and what to do if a child ingests a poisonous substance. Traditional medicines are particularly dangerous to give to infants less than one year old and carry a high mortality.