Principales agentes tóxicos que originan hospitalización en pacientes pediátricos con Intoxicaciones no Intencionales en el Hospital Roberto Gilbert en los años 2018 al 2020.

Abstract

Background: Poisonings are considered chemical traumas in pediatrics. Globally, there are 45,000 deaths from unintentional poisoning, both in children and adults. The over-the-counter of medications, chemicals and their visual appeal make poisonings in pediatrics an increasingly frequent event in emergency rooms. The objective of this study is to determine which are the most frequent toxic agents that cause hospitalization in pediatrics. Methods: An observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out. All patients with a diagnosis of unintentional intoxication treated at the Roberto Gilbert Elizalde Hospital in the period January 2018 - December 2020 were included in the study. Results: We analyzed 242 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The male sex predominated with 54.2%. The most affected age group were preschoolers in 41%. The most common toxic agent was drugs (35.9%), followed by caustic drugs (21.2%). 68% of patients required hospitalization, their hospital stay was 2.64 ± 3.5 days, 40% presented complications with neurological complications being the most frequent. Conclusions: Among the patients who required hospitalization, the most affected age group was infants, followed by preschoolers. Drugs were the most common toxic agents, with psychotropic drugs being the leading cause of intoxication. About half of the patients presented complications, the most frequent being neurological followed by digestive.