Plant Poisoning Among Children in Rural Sri Lanka

Overview

Journal Int J Pediatr

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2017 Apr 6

PMID 28377789

Citations 8

Authors

M B Kavinda Chandimal Dayasiri

Shaluka F Jayamanne

Chamilka Y Jayasinghe

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Plant poisoning is a common presentation in paediatric practice and an important cause of preventable mortality and morbidity in Sri Lanka. The burden of plant poisoning is largely underexplored. The current multicenter study based in rural Sri Lanka assessed clinical profiles, poison related factors, clinical management, complications, outcomes, and risk factors associated with plant poisoning in the paediatric age group. Among 325 children, 57% were male with 64% being below five years of age. 99.4% had ingested the poison. Transfer rate was 66.4%. Most had unintentional poisoning. Commonest poison plant was and poisoning event happened mostly in home garden. 29% of parents practiced harmful first-aid practices. 32% of children had delayed presentations to which the commonest reason was lack of parental concern regarding urgency of seeking medical care. Presence of poisonous plants in home garden was the strongest risk factor for plant poisoning. Mortality rate was 1.2% and all cases had Oleander poisoning. The study revealed the value of community awareness regarding risk factors and awareness among healthcare workers regarding the mostly benign nature of plant poisoning in children in view of limiting incidence of plant poisoning and reducing expenditure on patient management.

Citing Articles

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Knowledge and attitude of children safety at home among population in Saudi Arabia.

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Deliberate Self-poisoning due to Plant Toxins: Verdant Footprints of the Past into the Present.

Abhilash K, Murugan S, Rabbi A, Pradeeptha S, Pradeep R, Gunasekaran K Indian J Crit Care Med. 2021; 25(4):392-397.

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Spectrum of Plant Toxin and Deliberate Self-poisoning.

Banerjee T, Datta A Indian J Crit Care Med. 2021; 25(4):364-365.

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Paediatric poisoning in rural Sri Lanka: an epidemiological study.

Prasadi G, Mohamed F, Senarathna L, Cairns R, Pushpakumara P, Dawson A BMC Public Health. 2018; 18(1):1349.

PMID: 30522467 PMC: 6282383. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-6259-y.

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