Admission to a pediatric intensive care unit for poisoning

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Abstract
We reviewed all patients treated for intoxication in the pediatric ICU (PICU) of the Sainte-Justine Hospital over a 3-yr period. Poisoning (105 patients) constituted 3.1% of PICU admissions. Most involved children < 3 (42%) yr or >12 (33%) yr. Products most commonly ingested included tricyclic antidepressants (22%), benzodiazepines (15%), theophylline (10%), ethanol (10%), hallucinogens (8%), salicylates (8%), narcotics (8%), antihistamines (7%), and carbamazepine (5%). Three children became comatose after ingesting about 1 g of hashish. Multiple drug ingestions were frequent (22%), particularly in suicide attempts (11/23). Treatment was, in general, interventionist and nonspecific; aggressive measures for poisoning were required in only two patients who were hemodialyzed. Two patients stayed in the PICU >2 days. All patients survived with no sequelae, except for one patient who required an intestinal resection. Poisoning in children is a common occurrence leading to PICU admission: however, the medical prognosis is usually excellent.

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