Patterns and determinants of potentially harmful first aid practices in children with acute poisoning.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the patterns and determinants of harmful first aid practices in children with acute poisoning, and identify factors influencing caregivers' pre-hospital management.

RESULTS

This study included 384 children under 12 years, with 29.4% receiving harmful first aid measures. The most common poisoning agents were household chemicals (31.5%), followed by medicines (29.2%). First aid was provided to 29.4% of children, with water and coconut milk being the most common remedies. Harmful first aid was more likely in household chemical poisoning (p = 0.046). Univariate analysis revealed associations between harmful practices and factors such as low maternal education (p = 0.002), remote healthcare access (p = 0.0001), and cultural beliefs (p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis identified remote healthcare access (p = 0.001), low socio-economic status (p = 0.001), low maternal education (p = 0.03), and cultural beliefs (p = 0.05) as significant determinants. Qualitative findings revealed knowledge gaps, financial constraints, and cultural beliefs influencing first aid decisions, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.