Poisoning among Children Visiting the Paediatric Emergency Department in a Tertiary Care Centre

Introduction: Poisoning occurs when substances are ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through skin contact in quantities that are harmful to the body. Knowledge of the pattern and prevalence of paediatric poisoning will help us quantify the burden of poisoning. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of poisoning among children visiting the Paediatric Emergency Department in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among children visiting the Paediatric Emergency Department in a tertiary care centre. Data from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021 was collected between 15 April 2022 to 25 April 2022 from medical records. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee. Children aged 0 to 14 years old were included in the study. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Among 12,488 children, 162 (1.30%) (1.10-1.50, 95% Confidence Interval) had poisoning. Pesticides and insecticides were the most common agents involved in poisoning 39 (24.07%). Conclusions: The prevalence of poisoning was found to be lower than other studies done in similar settings