Abstract
Background: Childhood poisonings are common, but infrequently necessitate transfer to intensive care unit (ICU) for further management. This project was done to evaluate all the cases of poisoning referred to Children's Acute Transport Service (CATS), in terms of clinical chacteristics and outcome.
Method: All the children with acute poisoning for which advice or retrieval request was received at CATS, were included in this study. Various parameters noted were age, sex of child, type of poisoning/overdose agent, clinical manifestations, and management of child including any antidote used, reasons for refused referral, length of stay in PICU, final outcome of the episode and comparison of outcome of retrieved vs. not retrieved children.
Results: There were 42 cases of substance poisoning. Deliberate self harm was most common reason. Pharmaceuticals were most common agents involved.
Single agent was involved in most cases.
Nervous and cardiovascular symptoms were most common. Intensive supportive treatment was given in most of cases. In only 5 cases specific antidote was used. More than half didn't need retrieval because of improvement at referral hospital itself. No mortality was recorded.
Conclusions: Significant proportion of children referred for PICU can be managed at the local hospital, either with close observations and monitoring or temporary use of available adult critical care services for brief periods of ventilation. The vast majority of cases survive their acute episode following a relatively short spell of PICU, small minority may need advanced organ support, especially renal and cardiovascular.
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Kumar, M., Ramnarayan, P. 1203 Characteristics and Outcome of Children Referred to Specialist Paediatric Intensive Care Rerieval Team with Poisoning From District General Hospital. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 595 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-01203
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-01203