@article{ref1,
title="Poisonings requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit: a 5-year review",
journal="Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)",
year="2014",
author="Even, K. M. and Armsby, C. C. and Bateman, S. T.",
volume="52",
number="5",
pages="519-524",
abstract="Background. Poisonings represent a significant number of preventable admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), but data about poisonings requiring PICU-level care are limited. <br><br>OBJECTIVEs. To identify the demographics of patients admitted with poisonings and characterize their clinical courses related to their poisoning. <br><br>METHODS. All poisonings over a 5-year period (2008-2012) at an academic medical center in New England were retrospectively reviewed using electronic medical records in an observational case series. Poisonings were identified using key search terms within an admissions database. <br><br>RESULTS. There were 273 admissions for poisonings, which represent 8% of total PICU admissions over this time period. The poisonings were unintentional in 148 (54%) cases and intentional in 125 (46%). The vast majority of poisonings occurred in patients either 3 years or below (N = 121, 44%) or 13 years or above (N = 124, 45%). Most (96%) admissions were for less than 48 h and 41% were for less than 24 h. Mean PICU length of stay was 1.2 + 0.7 days. A total of 468 substances were ingested in 54 different drug classes, with analgesics and antidepressants being the most common. Eighty-five (31%) poisonings were polypharmaceutical. The most commonly used therapies were naloxone, activated charcoal, and benzodiazepines. Twenty-seven patients (10%) received mechanical ventilation. There was one fatality, an adolescent with a polypharmacy overdose in a suicide attempt. <br><br>CONCLUSION. Pediatric poisonings are a significant percentage of admissions to the PICU. The majority of poisonings are non-fatal, require supportive care, close monitoring, and some specific treatment. Drug classes causing poisonings have changed to a higher percentage of opioids in younger patients and atypical antidepressants in adolescents.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1556-3650",
doi="10.3109/15563650.2014.909601",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/15563650.2014.909601"
}