Open Journal of Pediatrics, 2022, 12, 100-124
https://www.scirp.org/journal/ojped
ISSN Online: 2160-8776
ISSN Print: 2160-8741
DOI: 10.4236/ojped.2022.121012 Feb. 24, 2022 100 Open Journal of Pediatrics
Spectrum of Poisoning and Outcome among
Children in a Tertiary Hospital, North-East
Nigeria: A 20 Years Restrospective Review,
2000-2019
Warnow Elon Isaac
1*
, Jalo Iliya
1
, Sani Adamu
2
, Daniel Apllos
3
, Christianah Oyeniyi
4
1
Department of Paediatrics, College of Medical Sciences, Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria
2
Department of Chemical Pathology, Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria
3
Department of Paediatrics, Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Nigeria
4
Infectious Diseases Training and Research Group, Gombe, Nigeria
Abstract
Introduction: Acute poisoning in children is cause of hospitalization and
death worldwide. It is a Paediatrics emergency with significant economic cost.
There are epidemiological differences in acute poisonings in children eva-
luated in Emergency departments across different countries and regions of
the world. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of poisoning in
children in our health facility during the period 2000-2019. Methodology:
Case notes of children 6 months to 18 years managed for acute poisoning
from January 2000 to December 2019 at Paediatrics unit, Federal Teaching
Hospital Gombe (FTHG), were analysed. The International classification of
Disease ICD 10 was used. Ethical Clearance was obtained. Results: 26,716
children were admitted with 76 cases of Acute poisoning giving a prevalence
rate of 2.8/1000 children. 56.6% (43) were males. 63.2% (48) of children were
<5 years of age. 69.7% (53) were urban dwellers and 59.2% (45) from low so-
cioeconomic class. 52.6% (40) of poisoning occurred in rainy season. 97.3%
(74) of children had unintentional poisoning. Organophosphates 22.3% (17)
and kerosine 22.3% (17) were the most common substances ingested. Snake-
bite and corrosive ingestion occurred in 13.1% and 11.8% of children respec-
tively. Ingestion was the route in 84.2% of cases. 75.0% (57) of poisoning oc-
curred at home. ACP occurred in children aged 1 - 5 years (p-value = 0.025);
More in Children from low socioeconomic status (p-value = 0.001) and urban
settings (p-value = 0.001). There was no statistically significant relation be-
tween type of poisoning and gender p = 0.839, season p = 0.608, religion p =
How to cite this paper: Isaac, W.E., Iliya,
J., Adamu, S., Apllos, D. and Oyeniyi, C.
(2022) Spectrum of Poisoning and Outcome
among Children in a Tertiary Hospital,
North-East Nigeria: A 20 Years Restrospec-
tive Review, 2000-2019. Open Journal of
Pediatrics, 12, 100-124.
https://doi.org/10.4236/ojped.2022.121012
Received: December 14, 2021
Accepted: February 21, 2022
Published: February 24, 2022
Copyright © 2022 by author(s) and
Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access