Evaluation of the characteristics of children applying to the pediatric emergency department with poisoning during the epidemic process

This study was carried out retrospectively to evaluate the characteristics of children who were admitted to the pediatric emergency department of a hospital in Istanbul with poisoning within one year from the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. The sample of the study consisted of 326 children who were admitted to the pediatric emergency department with poisoning within a year. The research data were obtained from the patient files recorded in the computer environment through the Data Collection Form. Percentage, average, standard deviation, Pearson Chi-Square test, Fisher's Exact test, and, Yates Chi-Square (Continuity Correction) tests were used to evaluate the data. It was found that 53.7% of the children were girls, the mean age was 4.99±4.86 years, and 58% of them applied in the second six months of the epidemic. It was determined that children were mostly poisoned by medicine (58%) and detergents (23,9%). It was found that 87,7% of the children were poisoned by accident and 12,3% by suicide. It was determined that 89.9% of the children were treated symptomatically and 60.7% of them were discharged with recovery after observation. It was found that the first six months of the epidemic had more 2-4 age group and 5- 12 age group patients admitted, the and second six months of the epidemic had more 0-1 age group children admitted to the emergency department (p<0,05). It was determined that the rate of hospitalization in the pediatric clinic and intensive care unit was higher in the first six months of the epidemic, and the rate of discharge was higher in the second six months of the epidemic (p<0,05). It was found that poisoning due to suicide was higher in girls and poisoning due to accidents in boys (p=0,000). It was found that accidental poisoning was more common in the 2-4 age group children suicide-related poisoning was more common in children above 13 years old. (p=0,000). In order to prevent common poisonings in children, nurses should inform parents and society and increase awareness of this issue. Keywords: Children, Pediatric Emergency, Nursing, Outbreak, Poisoning