Sex Differences in Pediatric Poisonings by Age Group: a Toxicology Investigators’ Consortium (ToxIC) Analysis (2010–2016)

• Published in: Journal of medical toxicology Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 423 - 443
• Main Authors: Beauchamp, Gillian A., Carey, Jennifer L., Cook, Matthew D., Cannon, Robert D., Katz, Kenneth D., Yoon, Jennifer, Kincaid, Hope, Ely, Brittany J., Pollack, Emily, Mazzaccaro, Richard J., Greenberg, Marna Rayl
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.10.2020
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Child; Child, Preschool; Databases, Factual; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Original; Original Article; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Poisoning - diagnosis; Poisoning - epidemiology; Registries; Sex Distribution; Time Factors; Pediatrics; Poisonings; Sex differences; Medical toxicology
• ISSN: 1556-9039; 1937-6995
• DOI: 10.1007/s13181-020-00781-9

Objective To review pediatric poisonings evaluated at the bedside by medical toxicologists and reported in the ToxIC registry, by sex and age group. Methods Pediatric poisoning cases age ≤18 years, reported between January 2010 and December 2016, were reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to describe study variables by age group and sex. Results A total of 12,699 cases were analyzed. There were 7517 females and 5182 males. Those < 2 years old represented 12.5% of the study group ( n  = 1584), 17.2% were 2–6 years old ( n  = 2178), 8.6% were 7–12 years old ( n  = 1097), and 61.7% were 13–18 years old ( n  = 7840). The most common primary reasons for encounter were intentional pharmaceutical with 4900 females and 1836 males; intentional non-pharmaceutical with 952 females and 1213 males; unintentional pharmaceutical with 539 females and 644 males; and unintentional non-pharmaceutical with 435 females and 593 males. Overall, pharmaceuticals were the most commonly involved agents, including analgesics (20.9% of cases) and antidepressants (11% of cases): 27.8% of females and 10.7% of males were reportedly exposed to an analgesic.13.7% of females and 7.0% of males were reportedly exposed to an antidepressant. Among 1584 cases under 2 years, there were 747 females and 837 males; among 2178 cases aged 2–6 years, there were 954 females and 1224 males; among 1097 cases aged 7–12 years, there were 555 females and 542 males; and among 7840 cases aged 13–18 years, there were 5261 females and 2579 males. Death was reported in 0.7% of the cases: 20 females and 18 males. 6.1% of cases were managed with intubation: 421 females and 351 males. Conclusions Sex-based characteristics of poisonings varied by age group among pediatric poisoning presentations reported to the ToxIC registry and further research is needed to determine implications for education and prevention efforts.