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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of patients admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit for poisoning and the factors associated with their outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit for poisoning over the 11-year period between January 2010 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients' demographic characteristics, poisoning agent, whether the poisoning was unintentional or intentional (suicide attempt), clinical findings at admission, indication for hospitalization, antidote administered, and supportive and extracorporeal treatments were examined. RESULTS: During the study period, poisonings accounted for 9.4% (436/4653) of pediatric intensive care unit admissions. Of these, 419 patients with complete records were included in the analysis. Drug poisonings accounted for 81.9% of cases (multiple drugs in 38.5%). The most common drug group was central nervous system drugs (47%). Of the symptomatic patients, 56.5% had central nervous system-related findings and 55% had gastrointestinal findings. Before pediatric intensive care unit admission, 52.7% of the patients received activated charcoal and 7.4% received antidote therapy. In the pediatric intensive care unit, 68.9% of patients received no medical treatment, while 71.5% of those who received medical treatment had organ involvement. Multivariate logistic regression analysis to predict whether patients will require treatment during the intensive care follow-up showed that antidote administration before pediatric intensive care unit admission was associated with the need for medical treatment (odds ratio: 25.6, 95% CI: 6.8-96, P < .05). Three patients died, and the mortality rate was 0.72%. CONCLUSION: Childhood poisoning is a widespread and important problem. Effective management in pediatric emergency and intensive care units contributes to patient survival without sequelae.
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We determined the frequency of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in healthy Turkish school children using the current echocardiographic diagnostic criteria. This epidemiological survey was performed on 2550 school children. All children were screened with echocardiography and the family of children with MVP were also screened. The prolapse of mitral leaflets into left atrium ≥ 2 mm in parasternal long-axis view was used as diagnostic criteria. MVP was classified as classical or non-classical according to anterior mitral leaflet thickness. The thickness of anterior mitral leaflet, the extent of prolapse, and the presence of mitral regurgitation were evaluated. The children were also questioned about the associated symptoms. The prevalence of MVP was 1.25% in children with a mean age of 11.1 ± 2.9 years. The prevalence was 0.9%, 1.2%, and 1.6% in 5-9 years, 10-13 years, and 14-18 years of age, respectively. 43.7% of the cases were classical MVP. The frequency of auscultation findings was 34.3%. 11/34 children had mitral regurgitation. There was no statistically significant difference between classical MVP and non-classical MVP in terms of mitral regurgitation, physical examination findings, and symptoms. Anxiety (37.5%) was the most common symptom. The frequency of MVP in the first-degree relatives of children with MVP was 11/84 (13.1%). Most patients with MVP don't have auscultation findings and symptoms, therefore echocardiography is an important tool in the diagnosis of MVP. It is also reasonable to screen first degree relatives of MVP patients with echocardiography.