Pattern of Accidental Childhood Poisoning at the Children Emergency Room of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

Accidental childhood poisoning contributes significantly to childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. A review of the agents which cause poisoning in our locality from time to time is important in planning prevention strategies and treatment modalities.

OBJECTIVE

To document the pattern of accidental childhood poisoning at the Children Emergency Room (CHER) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria.

METHODS

A retrospective study in which records of admissions as well as case notes of patients admitted because of ingestion of poisons from October 2011 to June 2014 were obtained. Demographic characteristics, type of poison, where poison was kept, route of poisoning and outcome were extracted from medical records of the patients.

RESULTS

Fifty-five (1.44%) patients were admitted for accidental poisoning of a total of 3,822 admissions. Thirty-nine (70.9%) were males while 16 (29.1%) were females. The median and modal age at presentation was two years (range of 0.5-7 years). Route of poisoning was by ingestion in 54 (98.2%) patients. The commonest agent of poisoning was kerosene (32.7%); followed by medicines (18.2%), insecticides (16.4%) and caustic soda (12.7%). Forty-nine (89.1%) patients were discharged home with fatality in one (1.8%).

CONCLUSION

Kerosene is still the major agent of poisoning in Benin City, although the prevalence has decreased. Alcohol poisoning has also decreased while ingestion of medicines has increased. The use of beverage and disposable water containers to store poisonous substances and keeping them in easily accessible areas in the home is still rampant. Measures to prevent access of children to these substances will greatly reduce the burden of accidental poisoning.