Citation

McIntire MS, Angle CR, Ekins BR, Mofenson H, Rauber A, Scherz R. J. Toxicol. Clin. Toxicol. 1984; 21(3): 321-331.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, Marcel Dekker)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

6676474

Abstract

A collaborative study of 273 treated poisonings at three regional poison control centers showed a significant decrease in salicylism from 19% of all cases in 1970 to 9% in 1975 and 11% in 1980. A temporal correlation with safety packaging was also seen in the decrease in poisonings by household products from 36% and 42% of all treated poisonings in 1970 and 1975 to 21% in 1980. Poisonings by non-salicylate medications increased from 45% to 68% of treated ingestions. Therapeutic mishaps were relatively constant at 27%, 20% and 20% of all poisonings by medications. In children under one year of age 59% of medicinal poisonings were therapeutic mishaps, significantly higher than the 27% incidence for ages 1 to 5 years. Therapeutic mishaps and ingestions of household products resulted in significantly longer hospitalizations than accidental ingestion of medications. Additional data from two other regional centers permitted analysis of a total of 47 cases of treated salicylism. Therapeutic mishaps showed a possible upward trend from 27% of salicylate poisonings in 1970 to 36% in 1980. Almost all of the therapeutic mishaps with salicylates involved repeated overdose; 18 of the 19 mishaps due to other medications were allergic reactions.

Language: en