Pattern and frequency of acute poisoning in children

To determine different agents involved in acute poisoning in children, determine time interval between ingestion of agent and report at the hospital and document its hospital outcome. This was descriptive case series study conducted at the Department of Paediatrics [Emergency and General Wards], Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar from Jan 2007 to July 2007. A total of hundred patients with history of acute poisoning were subjected to detailed history and examination regarding different aetiological agents, time interval between ingestion of agent and report at hospital and hospital outcome. Majority of patients were below six years of age, 69% were male while 31% were female. Pharmaceutical agents and kerosene oil poisoning were the leading cause constituting 29% each followed by opiate and organophosphorus constituting 17% and 15% respectively. Fifty three percent of cases belonged to urban while forty seven percent belonged to rural area. Forty percent of cases were brought to the hospital within first hour; followed by 38% and 22% in 1-6 and more than 6 hours respectively. Ninety four percent of patients were discharged with almost complete recovery while six percent expired during hospital stay. Acute poisoning is an important paediatric medical emergency and has got an important effect on morbidity and mortality in this age group. Toddlers are the most prone group in children to acute poisoning. Kerosene oil, drugs, organophosphorus and opiate are the common aetiological agents of poisoning in children. Hospital outcome is poor in patients with corrosives poisoning

Pattern of hematological diseases in hospitalized pediatric patients based on bone marrow examination

The objective of this study was to look into various diagnoses of hematological lesions on bone marrow examination in our pediatric age group of patients. This study was conducted in the Pediatric A Unit and Department of Hematology Postgraduate Medical Institute [PGMI] Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar from 01st Jan 2007 to 31st Dec 2007. Children admitted with pallor, bleeding, lymphadenopathy or visceromegaly having abnormal smear results were included in this study. The data was statistically analyzed by SPSS version 10. One hundred and ninety-eight cases were included in the study. The age range was from 06 months to 14 years with a mean age of 5.35 years and standard deviation of +/- 3.69. Majority [4 7.5%] of these children were in the age range of 1 to 5 years with male to female ratio of 1.53. The commonest disorder was aplastic anemia present in 40 [20.2%] of the cases followed by idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura [ITP] [15.7%], megaloblastic anemia [14.6%] and iron deficiency anemia [7.6%]. Acute leukemia was the predominant malignant disorder present in 11.6% of the cases. There were also few cases of histiocytosis and bone marrow secondaries. Visceral leishmaniasis, anemia of chronic disorders, haemolytic anemia, myeloid hyperplasia, hypersplenism, congenital dyserythropoietic anemia, malaria and Gaucher disease were the other non-malignant hematological disorders found in this study. Aplastic anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, megaloblastic anemia and leukemia are the commonest hematological disorders in our set up