Childhood accidental poisoning in western Iraq: Pattern and risk factors

Peer review under responsibility of Alexandria University Faculty of Medicine.

Figures & data

Table 1 Age and gender distribution of accidental poisoning.

Age group (year)	Male no. (%)	Female no. (%)	Total no. (%)
≤1	3 (2.5)	2 (1.6)	5(4)
1–<3	45(37)	22(18)	67 (55)
3–<5	20 (16.4)	18 (14.8)	38 (31.2)
≥5	5 (4.1)	7 (5.7)	12 (9.8)
Total	73(60)	49(40)	122(1 0 0)

Table 2 The presenting clinical manifestations of the 122 accidental poisoning cases.

Signs & symptoms	No. (%)
Vomiting	73 (28.5)
Cough	61 (23.8)
Tachypnea	37 (14.5)
Fever	17 (6.64)
Diarrhea	15 (5.85)
Drowsiness	12 (4.68)
Asymptomatic	9 (3.51)
Dyspnea	7 (2.73)
Irritability	5 (1.95)
Skin redness & swelling	3 (1.17)
Flushing of face	3 (1.17)
Unconsciousness	2 (0.78)
Skin itching	2 (0.78)
Mydriasis	2 (0.78)
Meiosis	2 (0.78)
Shock	1 (0.39)
Cyanosis	1 (0.39)
Tachycardia	1 (0.39)
Hematuria	1 (0.39)
Oculogyric spasm	1 (0.39)
Hypotension	1 (0.39)
Total	256 (1 0 0)

Table 3 Age distribution according to the type of accidental poisoning.

Causative agent	≤1 yr^*	1–<3 yr	3–<5 yr	≥5 yr	Total (%)
Kerosene	0	35	20	0	55 (45.0)
Drugs	2	8	11	5	26 (21.3)
Household products	0	14	2	0	16 (13.1)
Food poisoning	0	2	2	6	10 (8.2)
Herbals and Sagwa	3	3	0	0	6 (5.0)
Scorpion bites	0	1	2	1	4 (3.3)
Rodenticide	0	2	1	0	3 (2.5)
Poisonous plants	0	2	0	0	2(1.6)
Total	5 (4%)	67(55%)	38(31.2%)	12(9.8%)	122(1 0 0)

* yr: year.

Table 4 Types of the drugs causing the poisoning (26 cases).

Poisoning drugs	No. of cases	(%)
Unknown drugs	7	(26.9)
Contraceptive pills	6	(23.1)
Paracetamol	5	(19.3)
Cyproheptadine	3	(11.6)
Salbutamol	1	(3.85)
Diclofenac	1	(3.85)
Metoclopramide	1	(3.85)
Captopril	1	(3.85)
Clonidine	1	(3.85)
Total	26	(100%)

Table 5 Time of hospital arrival, period of hospital stay and outcomes of accidental poisoning.

Hospital arrival	No. (%)
<1 h	17 (14)
1–3 h	91 (74.6)
>3 h	14 (11.4)
Stay in hospital
<24 h	91 (74.6)
1–≤3 days	26 (21.3)
>3 days	5 (4.1)
Outcome
No complications	106 (87)
With complications	14 (11.4)
Died	2 (1.6)
Total	122 (1 0 0)

Table 6 Risk factors between accidental poisoning cases and controls.

Risk factors	Cases (1 2 2)No. (%)	Control (2 4 4)No.(%)	OR (95% CI)^†	P. value
Child residence
Rural	67(55)	156(64)	0.69 (0.43–1.10)	0.0960
Urban	55(45)	88(36)	–
Child vaccination
Full vaccination	81 (66.4)	151 (61.8)	Reference group
Partial vaccination	32 (26.2)	67 (27.5)	0.89 (0.53–1.46)	0.327
No vaccination	9 (7.4)	26 (10.7)	0.64 (0.28–1.44)	0.145
Mother age
<20 yr	4 (3.3)	1(0.4)	7.9 (0.87–71.4)^*	0.048
20–30 yr	92(75.4)	177 (72.5)	Reference group
31–40 yr	23(18.8)	50(20.5)
>40 yr	3 (2.5)	16(6.6)	0.37 (0.10–1.29)	0.081
Mother education
Illiterate	27(22.1)	64(26.2)	0.79 (0.47–1.33)	0.197
Primary	75(61.5)	136(55.7)	Reference group
Secondary	15(12.3)	34(14)
High education	5(4.1)	10(4.1)	0.94 (0.31–2.84)	0.470
Mother occupation
Unemployed	120 (98.4)	239(98)	1.25 (0.24–6.56)	0.570
Employed	2(1.6)	5(2)	–	–
Father age
<20 yr	1(0.8)	3(1.2)	0.61 (0.06–5.98)	0.562
20–30 yr	69(56.5)	162(66.4)	Reference group
31–40 yr	49(40.2)	56(23)
> 40 yr	3(2.5)	23(9.4)	0.24 (0.07–0.81)^*	0.008
Father education
Illiterate	20(16.4)	63(26)	0.55 (0.31–0.98)^*	0.020
Primary	44(36.0)	96(39.3)	Reference group
Secondary	41(33.6)	53(21.7)
High education	17(14)	32(13)	0.93 (0.48–1.77)	0.419
Father occupation
Employed	42(34.4)	77(31.6)	1.38 (0.71–1.80)	0.290
Unemployed	80(65.6)	167(68.4)	–	–
Number of siblings
<3	44(36)	83(34)	1.08 (0.67–1.75)	0.366
3–5	60(49)	123(50.4)	Reference group
>5	18(15)	38(15.6)	0.97 (0.51–1.84)	0.468
Number of house families
1 family	44(36)	95(39)	Reference group
2 families	45 (37)	72 (29.5)	0.74 (0.44–1.24)	0.129
≥3 families	33 (27)	77 (31.5)	0.68 (0.39–1.19)	0.091

† OR: Odd's ratio, CI: Confidence interval.

* Significant.