Pattern of Pediatric Illicit Substance Intoxication at Alexandria Poison Centre: ICU Risk Assessment

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University

2 Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt

3 Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt,

Abstract

Background: Acute intoxication from illicit substances in children leads to high morbidity rates in many countries. Aim of the work: This study took an in-depth look at the patterns of acute intoxication with substances of abuse in children. Additionally, the performance of Pediatric Early Warning (PEWS) in predicting the necessity for ICU admission was investigated. Patients and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on children admitted to APC with a history of acute intoxication with illicit substances in the period from January 2022 to the end of June 2022.Clinical and toxicological data were collected. Pediatric early warning score (PEWS) was calculated. Results: The study involved 53 children under 18 years old. The mean age was 2.51±3.06 years. 81.1% of the children were in age group 1 - < 6 years. The largest percentage of substance intoxication was caused by cannabis (81.1%), followed by opioids (7.5%), Methanol and ethanol constituted 3.8% each, followed by benzodiazepine and methamphetamine constituted 1.9% each. The PEWS score ranged from 0-7, and 45.3% of the cases had a score of 3. The ROC curve analysis showed that a PEWS score of 4 could reliably predict the necessity for ICU care with high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: The PEWS score could serve as a reliable tool for predicting the need for ICU admission among acutely intoxicated pediatric patients with illicit substances. It can aid in the early identification of patients who will require ICU admission, particularly in low-income countries with limited resources.

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