King, Charlotte;
Anderson, Mark;
Agarwal, Abhishek;
Fakis, Apostolos;
Parry, Christopher M;
Lynn, Richard Michael;
Hawcutt, Daniel B;
(2025)
Severe Accidental Poisonings in Children: A British Paediatric Surveillance Unit Nationwide Prospective Study.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
, 110
(8)
pp. 597-602.
10.1136/archdischild-2024-328196.
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Abstract
Background Poisoning in children and young people is common. Understanding the incidence, causes and circumstances of severe accidental poisonings, requiring admission and medical intervention, may help healthcare professionals and shape public health interventions. Methods A prospective, population-based surveillance study using the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU)'s active surveillance methodology (July 2018-July 2019) in the UK and Ireland. Inclusion criteria were as follows: all children aged <15 years; accidental poisoning requiring intervention; Poisoning Severity Score (PSS) score ≥2 (moderate or severe). Intentional poisonings were excluded. Results 116 cases of poisoning were reported, and 31 cases met the inclusion criteria. The overall incidence of reported severe accidental poisoning was 2.4 cases per million children (3.2 per million in male, 1.6 per million in female), with 7.3 cases per million in children under 2 years. On PSS scoring, 14 (45%) cases were classified as moderate, 16 (52%) cases severe and 1 (3%) case fatal. The frequency of fatal poisonings reported was 0.08 per million children. Prescription medications were the most common substance implicated (n=13, 42%), with opioids (n=6, 19%) being the most common medication group. Common non-medication causes were illicit drugs or alcohol (n=12, 39%), household or industrial products (n=5, 16%), and carbon monoxide (n=1, 3%). The most cited circumstance was 'the substance being left unattended' (n=8, 26%). Conclusion Severe accidental poisoning remains a significant problem for children, but the most common causes have changed, underscoring the importance of updating public health initiatives.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Severe Accidental Poisonings in Children: A British Paediatric Surveillance Unit Nationwide Prospective Study |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1136/archdischild-2024-328196 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2024-328196 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10219016 |
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