Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Acute Poisoning in Children in Southwestern China: A Review of 1755 Cases from 2014 to 2020

Figures & data

Table 1 Composition of Toxicants in 1755 Children with Acute Poisoning with Different Characteristics

Group		Pesticides, n (%)	Medicines, n  (%)	Food, n (%)	Rat Poison, n (%)	Chemicals, n (%)	CO, n (%)	Alcohol, n (%)	Animal Bite Stabbing, n (%)	Other, n (%)	χ^2	P value
Gender	Male	311 (33.2)	255 (27.3)	100 (10.7)	65 (6.9)	66 (7.1)	25 (2.7)	60 (6.4)	6 (0.6)	46 (4.9)	–	<0.0001
	Female	348 (42.4)	224 (27.3)	61 (7.4)	44 (5.4)	55 (6.7)	24 (2.9)	20 (2.4)	5 (0.6)	40 (4.9)
Live	Rural area	620 (52.1)	213 (17.9)	108 (9.1)	93 (7.8)	62 (5.2)	33 (2.8)	26 (2.2)	8 (0.7)	28 (2.4)	–	<0.0001
	Town	39 (5.7)	266 (47.2)	53 (9.4)	16 (2.8)	59 (10.5)	16 (2.8)	54 (9.6)	3 (0.5)	58 (10.3)
Age	Infancy	7 (12.7)	24 (43.6)	3 (5.5)	7 (12.7)	9 (16.4)	2 (3.6)	0	1 (1.8)	2 (3.6)	60.53	<0.0001
	Early childhood	151 (24.9)	227 (37.4)	27 (4.4)	57 (9.4)	77 (12.7)	6 (1.0)	4 (0.6)	1 (0.2)	57 (9.4)
	Preschool	368 (56.2)	137 (20.9)	49 (7.5)	35 (5.3)	21 (3.2)	17 (2.6)	4 (0.6)	2 (0.3)	22 (3.4)
	School age	72 (30.6)	48 (20.4)	65 (27.7)	6 (2.6)	8 (3.4)	16 (6.8)	9 (10.6)	6 (2.6)	5 (2.1)
	Puberty	61 (30.0)	43 (21.2)	17 (8.4)	4 (2.0)	6 (3.0)	8 (4.0)	63 (31.0)	1 (0.5)	0
Season	Spring	214 (42.5)	148 (29.3)	19 (3.8)	27 (5.4)	38 (7.5)	10 (2.0)	18 (3.6)	1 (0.2)	29 (5.8)	15.39	=0.015
	Summer	134 (32.2)	129 (31.0)	48 (11.5)	29 (7.0)	34 (8.2)	4 (1.0)	20 (4.8)	3 (0.7)	15 (3.6)
	Autumn	153 (36.3)	91 (21.6)	67 (15.9)	30 (7.1)	25 (5.9)	4 (0.9)	21 (5.0)	7 (1.7)	24 (5.7)
	Winter	158 (38.3)	111 (26.9)	27 (6.5)	23 (5.6)	24 (5.8)	31 (7.5)	21 (5.1)	0	18 (4.4)
Nationality	Han	521 (32.7)	471 (29.6)	159 (10.0)	108 (6.8)	115 (7.2)	47 (3 0.0)	75 (4.7)	11 (0.7)	86 (5.4)	172.7	<0.0001
	Yi	138 (85.2)	8 (4.9)	2 (1.2)	1 (0.6)	6 (3.7)	2 (1.2)	5 (3.1)	0	0

Table 2 Characteristic Distribution of 80 Cases of Alcoholism

	Early Childhood	Preschool	School Age	Puberty
Case	4 (5.0)	4 (5.0)	9 (11.3)	63 (78.8)
Acute alcoholism	4 (5.0)	4 (5.0)	9 (11.3)	54 (67.5)
Alcohol use	0	0	0	9 (11.3)
Occasionally heavy drinking	0	0	9 (11.3)	63 (78.8)

Table 3 Distribution of Causes in 1755 Children with Acute Poisoning with Different Characteristics (n, %)

Group		Accidental Poisoning	Drug Poisoning	Food Poisoning	Inhalation Poisoning	Contact Poisoning	Intentional Poisoning	Iatrogenic Poisoning	Animals’ Bite Stabbing	χ^2	P value
Gender	Male	505 (54.1)	255 (27.3)	100 (10.7)	25 (2.7)	10 (1.1)	30 (3.2)	3 (0.3)	6 (0.6)	–	P=0.0419
	Female	473 (57.6)	224 (27.3)	61 (7.4)	24 (2.9)	11 (1.3)	23 (2.8)	0	5 (0.6)
Age	Infancy	24 (43.6)	24 (43.6)	3 (5.5)	2 (3.6)	0	0	1 (1.8)	1 (1.8)	424.2	P<0.0001
	Early childhood	339 (55.8)	227 (37.4)	27 (4.4)	6 (1.0)	5 (0.8)	2 (0.3)	0	1 (0.2)
	Preschool	446 (68.1)	137 (20.9)	49 (7.5)	17 (2.6)	3 (0.5)	0	1 (0.2)	2 (0.3)
	School age	78 (33.2)	48 (20.4)	65 (27.7)	16 (6.8)	13 (5.5)	8 (34.0)	1 (0.4)	6 (2.6)
	Puberty	91 (44.8)	43 (21.2)	17 (8.4)	8 (4.0)	0	43 (21.2)	0	1 (0.5)
Live	Rural area	761 (64.6)	213 (17.9)	108 (9.1)	33 (2.8)	19 (1.6)	48 (4.0)	1 (0.1)	8 (2.6)	4.875	P=0.0275
	Town	217 (38.8)	266 (47.2)	53 (9.4)	16 (2.8)	2 (0.4)	5 (0.9)	2 (0.4)	3 (0.5)
Season	Spring	313 (62.0)	148 (29.3)	19 (3.8)	10 (2.0)	3 (0.6)	10 (2.0)	1 (0.2)	1 (0.2)	46.66	P<0.0001
	Summer	219 (52.6)	129 (31.0)	48 (11.5)	4 (1.0)	8 (2.0)	4 (1.0)	1 (0.3)	3 (0.7)
	Autumn	224 (53.2)	91 (21.6)	67 (15.9)	4 (0.9)	8 (1.9)	20 (4.8)	0	7 (1.7)
	Winter	222 (53.8)	111 (26.9)	27 (6.5)	31 (7.5)	2 (0.5)	19 (4.6)	1 (0.2)	0
Nationality	Han	844 (53.0)	471 (29.6)	159 (10.0)	47 (2.9)	21 (1.3)	37 (2.3)	3 (0.2)	11 (0.7)	77.73	P<0.0001
	Yi	134 (82.7)	8 (4.9)	2 (1.2)	2 (1.2)	0	16 (9.9)	0	0

Figure 1 Monthly distribution of acute poisoning in children.

Figure 2 Annual distribution of acute poisoning in children from 2014 to 2020.

Table 4 Clinical Characteristics Associated with Different Poisoning Routes (n, %)

Pathways of Poisoning	Digestive System	Respiratory System	Blood Circulation System	Nervous System	Urinary System	Others
Gastrointestinal poisoning	1671 (100.0)	25 (1.5)	187 (11.2)	82 (4.9)	40 (2.4)	50 (3.2)
Inhalation poisoning	0	49(100.0)	0	49(100.0)	0	0
Contact poisoning	0	0	21(100.0)	0	0	21(100.0)
Animal bite stabbing	0	0	0	11(100.0)	2(18.2)	11(100.0)
Iatrogenic poisoning	0	0	0	3(100.0)	0	0

Table 5 Prognosis Distributions in Poisoned Children with Different Hospital Stay Durations

Types of Poisoning	≤3d	4–6d	7–9d	≥10d	χ^2	P value
Pesticides	202(30.7)	314(47.6)	76(11.5)	67(10.2)	515.3	<0.0001
Medicines	468(97.7)	10(2.1)	1(0.2)	0
Food	141(87.6)	20(12.4)	0	0
Rat poison	107(98.2)	2(1.8)	0	0
Chemicals	121(100.0)	0	0	0
CO	35(71.4)	7(14.3)	7(14.3)	0
Alcohol	71(88.8)	3(3.8)	6(7.6)	0
Animal bite stabbing	9(81.8)	0	2(18.2)
Other	86(100.0)	0	0	0