Evaluation of sociocultural, clinical and laboratory findings of patients hospitalized and treated for drug intoxication at the child intensive care unit in Firat University Hospital between 2010-2020

We aimed, in this study, to determine the demographic structure and clinical features of childhood intoxication, and investigate diagnosis and treatment changes. In this research, the demographic, sociocultural, clinical, and laboratory findings of 333 cases hospitalized and followed up, with the diagnosis of drug intoxication, between 2010-2020 at the Child Intensive Care Unit in Fırat University Hospital, Department of Child Health and Diseases were examined. 194 (58.3%) of the cases included in our study were female, and 139 (41.7%) were male, with a mean age of 7,3±5,9 years. When the cases were evaluated by age groups, 169 (50,8%) were in the 0-4 age group, 42 (12,6%) were in the 4-8 age group, and 13 (3,9%) were in the 8-12 age group, and 109 (32,7%) were in the 12-18 age group. When gender status was analyzed by age groups, male children were more frequent in the 0-12 age group and female children in the 12-18 age group. In the evaluation of cases in terms of agents of intoxication, the medical drug was found in 232 (69,7%) of cases, pesticide in 43 (12,9%), hydrocarbon in 10 (3%), mushrooms in 8 (2,4%), carbon monoxide in 5 (1,5%), alcohol in 4 (1,2%), poisonous plant in 2 (0,6%), the corrosive substance in 2 (0,6%), and also other agents in 27 (8,1%). It also occurred by accident in 228 cases (68.5%), and it realized in 105 cases (31.5%) for suicide purposes. The age of those diagnosed with suicide intoxication was significantly higher than those accidentally poisoned (p<0,001). As a result, the accidental intoxications in the age group under five and suicidal intoxications in the adolescent age group were seen to be more frequent, and the drugs have been shown to be the most important agent of intoxication. Intoxication cases frequently occur with drugs often used in their age group and the community. Knowing these clinical features, according to age groups and diagnosing and treating the patients without losing time for the agents of intoxication, would help to reduce the frequency of drug intoxications in the society by taking the necessary precautions. Key words: PICU, poisoning, childhood