Objective: Poisoning is a substantial public health problem preventable with basic precautions. This study aims to contribute to the literature by analyzing the demographic variables, epidemiological characteristics, and prognosis of children brought to the pediatric emergency department of our center due to poisoning in the last five years.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 1928 patients who were under-18 years old and admitted with acute intoxication diagnosis to our tertiary hospital’s pediatric emergency department in Istanbul between 2016 and 2021. Patients were divided into two groups by poisoning factors: drug and non-drug substances.

Results: We included all 1928 patients (55.1% male, 44.9% female). The median age was 30 (20-49) months, and 85.5% (n=1650) of patients were under 72 months old. There was a male gender dominance (62.4%) among patients aged 3-6, all of whom had accidental poisoning (100%). Poisonings among patients older than 12years of age were more common in girls (59.8%) and were mainly suicidal attempts (65.2%). We detected drug exposure in 58.9% (n=1047) of patients; the most common drugs were analgesics (13.5%, n=269), psychotropics (6.2%, n=102), and hormone preparations (4.5%, n=86). We also detected non-drug exposure in 41.1% (n=792) of patients; the most common non-drug substances were corrosive-caustic substances (14.6%, n=284), and detergent poisonings (5.5%, n=106). None of the patients died.

Conclusion: Patients in the under 6 years old group admitted due to poisoning were predominantly male, and all cases were accidental. Whereas poisonings above the age of 12 were more common in girls and were usually due to suicide. Our study also showed that poisonings in children passed with milder symptoms, and we discharged most of the children after a short observation without the need for hospitalization. Well-balanced clinical management may prevent unnecessary hospitalization and unnecessary medical interventions.

Keywords: Children, poisoning, intoxication, emergency department, suicide