Clinical Characteristics of 208 Cases of Acute Poisoning in Children

Objective: To conduct a retrospective analysis of the clinical characteristics of acute poisoning in pediatric inpatients at our hospital, with findings aimed at providing a basis for treatment and prevention strategies. Methods: Clinical data from 208 children aged 0–14 years hospitalized for acute poisoning between 2020 and 2025 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Parameters evaluated included poisoning type, patient gender and age distribution, route and cause of poisoning, treatment, and outcomes. Results: Among the 208 cases, 80 were male and 128 were female. The age range was from 1 month to 14 years. Oral ingestion was the primary route of intoxication, accounting for 97.1% of cases. The most frequent type was drug poisoning (n=145, 69.7%), followed by chemical poisoning (n=35, 16.8%), herbicide poisoning (n=11, 5.3%), rodenticide poisoning (n=6, 2.9%), inhalation of toxic gases (n=6, 2.9%), insecticides poisoning (n=4, 1.9%), mushroom poisoning (n=1, 0.5%). The highest incidence occurred in the 11–14-year age group (n=91, 43.8%), followed by children aged 1–3 years (n=85, 40.9%), those aged 4–7 years (n=17, 8.2%), children aged 8–10 years (n=6, 2.9%), and infants under 1 year (n=9, 4.3%). Unintentional poisoning, all occurring in children under 10 years of age, accounted for 117 cases (56.2%). Intentional poisoning was documented in 91 cases, predominantly involving deliberate ingestion of antipsychotic medications (n=72), comprising 34.6% of the total cases. All intentional cases occurred in the 11–14-year age group, with a significant gender disparity (68 females vs. 4 males, P＜0.0001). Among these, 63 patients had a prior diagnosis of depression either at our institution or elsewhere before admission. Conclusion: Acute poisoning in children is etiologically diverse. Unintentional poisoning is more common in children aged 0–10 years, while intentional poisoning predominates among adolescents aged 11–14 years. Antipsychotic drugs are the most frequently involved toxic agents in intentional poisonings among adolescent girls. The majority of intentional ingestions occur in girls with underlying depression. These findings highlight the importance of focusing on mental health in adolescent females to prevent suicide-related incidents.