ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess cases in early childhood age group (1-4 years of age) who were admitted to Ondokuz Mayis University Health Application and Research Center due to poisoning and to obtain guiding results in taking protective measures.

761 children between the ages of 1 to 4 who were admitted to Ondokuz Mayis University Health Application and Research Center between 01 August 2010 and 31 July 2015 with a diagnosis of poisoning were included in the study.

The data obtained with this cross sectional study was analyzed by using SPSS statistic program.

413 (54,3%) of the cases were male, while 348 (45,7%) were female. The highest number of cases were admitted in the months of July (11,8%) and May (11,6%), on Mondays (18,3%) and between the hours 16.00-23.59. Drugs were statistically significantly the most common reason (48,3%) for poisoning in children.

In early childhood age group, trainings for parents or caregivers against poisoning that may happen in the house are quite important. In addition, labor force planning should be arranged by considering admission times in emergency services to make sure that patients are exposed to poison for a shorter period of time.

Keywords: Childhood, Poisoning, Accident, Emergency, Department, Prevention