Toxic household exposures in children

What you need to knowPoisoning is the third most common cause of injury related hospital admission in children aged under 5 yearsMost ingestions are not harmful, but access to suitable poisons information is requiredIntentional ingestion of household products is usually more hazardous than accidental ingestionsPoisoning is a leading cause of unintentional injury in children worldwide accounting for 11% of all unintentional injuries in children under 15 years old.1 Fatal poisoning rates are four times higher in low and middle income countries compared with high income countries.1 Across Europe, agents most commonly ingested include medications and household products.2 In the UK, poisoning is the third most common cause of injury related admission to hospital, equating to around 4000-5000 admissions per year (box 1).1011 Most children ingesting poisonous substances do not require hospital admission, and many can be managed at home or in the community.11 However, these decisions require adequate clinical assessment…
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