Epidemiology of paediatric poisoning reporting to a tertiary hospital in Ghana
S. Afr. j. child health (Online)
; 10(1): 68-70, 2016. ilus
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1270262
Responsible library:
CG1.1
ABSTRACT
Background. Childhood poisoning is an important cause of morbidity in both developed and developing countries. Epidemiological studies on accidental poisoning in children show a consistent pattern regarding age and gender. Childhood poisoning is predominant in children 6 years of age and has a male preponderance; as boys are more active with a drive to explore the environment. Objective. To document the epidemiology of home poisonings in Kumasi and its environs. Methods. We conducted a retrospective study from January 2007 to January 2012 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital; a tertiary hospital in Ghana.Results. Poisoning is a significant health problem in the study area. A total of 253 children reported to the hospital with poisoning over the 61-month period; with an average of four cases per month. The male to female ratio was 1.581. The median age of the children was 24 months (interquartile range 24 - 48 months). Kerosene was the leading cause of poisoning (39.5%). Conclusion. Paediatric poisoning is a major health hazard in children living in Kumasi and its environs. This can possibly be attributed to a lack of adequate supervision of children and poor storage of harmful substances in homes. Multidisciplinary interventions are needed to reduce the occurrence of the condition in the population at risk
Search on Google
Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
Poisoning
/
Hazardous Substances
/
Ghana
/
Hospitals, Teaching
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Risk factors
/
Screening study
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
S. Afr. j. child health (Online)
Year:
2016
Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS