In children, the assessment of the effects of caustic agents and social-economic level of their families on the degree esophageal injury

This work we study incidents related to corrosive substances taken by children in order to determine relations between burns caused by the substances and parents? socio-economic status. We performed a questionnaire to collect statistical data about families, and analyzed retrospective data about the children suspected with the misuse of corrosive substance use while visiting pediatric surgery clinics.This study was carried out between 01.10.2004 ? 31.05.2007 on mothers of 109 patients, only 50 of which could be contacted by Pamukkale University of Medical School Department of Pediatric Surgery and Afyon Kocatepe University Medical Faculty Department of Pediatric Surgery. In order to complete our research we have analyzed patient journals and their retrospective data.We designed a specific questionnaire form, called ?Information form of patients and their families?, to collect the statistical data. To determine correlations among independent variables, the corrosive substances, and the socio-economic status of the families, we have applied hypothesis tests based on the chi-square method using the statistical data about the parents and the corrosive substances collected earlier.For our research 56% of mothers fall within the age group of 26 and 30, and 46% of families considered have lower income level.42% of the incidents have occurred during the summer season, where 31% of the children had taken bleach. Due to lack of precaution 92% of children considered in the research had taken different corrosive substances.66% of the families considered in our research have purchased cleaning substances in their original packages, while 36% of them preserved the cleaning substances in the original packages. After incidents 74% of the parents of the children have started preserving the substances in safe places.27% of the children considered in the research happened to have first-degree burns.Consequently, esophageal burns are considered to be the disease of the industrial era. In order to thwart these incidents, families in this risk group should be determined and informed. Families should also be educated in accordance with the development level of their children. Furthermore, families should be instructed to preserve cleaning products properly. Necessary education should be prioritized in order to prevent from losses in the life standards of families and their children due to damages caused by the misuse of corrosive substances. Legislative regulations are needed to enforce the preservation of substances used for the purpose of cleaning in safe and locked packages.