Subject: Evaluation of intoxication cases in terms of distribution of the toxic agents, clinical features, and measures that were taken for patients who referred to Ankara Dr. Sami Ulus Children’s Education and Research Hospital emergency room.

Materials and Methods: 773 patients who applied to the Emergency Department between January 2000 and February 2004 were analyzed retrospectively. Cases were evaluated for age, sex, cause of intoxication, symptoms at application, seasonal distribution and prognosis.

Results: There were 773 intoxication cases which consisted 1.4% of all cases who applied to the Emergency Department during a four-year-period. 421 of cases were males and 352 were females. The youngest case was two weeks old and the oldest was 16 years old. 69.34% of cases were in 0-6 years age group. Intoxication cases peaked at summer (48.8%) and number of cases were minimum between December and February. While the drugs were the main agent for intoxication at 2000 and 2001, agricultural and industrial agents became the first agent at 2002-2003. At the early years of the study, the most common agent for drug intoxication was paracetamol, but during last years, intoxication with tricyclic antidepressant agents like amitriptyline increased. Mortality rate was calculated as 7.7 per thousand.

Conclusion: Because of the increase of intoxication with amitriptyline, cleaning agents, mushrooms and other drugs, education and research are required for further prevention.

Intoxication Child Epidemiology