Abstract

BUFFONE, Ignacio et al. Characterization of drug poisoning among adolescents seen at the municipal hospital of Bahía Blanca, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2018, vol.116, n.4, pp.279-282. ISSN 0325-0075.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5546/aap.2018.279.

Introduction. Drug poisoning among children is a frequent reason for visits to the emergency department; among adolescents, it is intentional. Objective. To describe the characteristics of drug poisoning among adolescents admitted to the municipal hospital of Bahía Blanca. Material and method. Descriptive study based on the review of medical records of patients aged 10-19 years seen for drug poisoning between 2012 and 2016. The following outcome measures were analyzed: age, sex, drug used, cause, clinical manifestations, and length of stay in days. Results. Data from 72 patients were collected. Their mean age was 16 years, and the female:male ratio was 2.5:1. Anxiolytic poisoning (30%) predominated, followed by polydrug use (25%). Ninety-five percent of patients showed a suicidal intention; of these, 55% had a history of suicide attempt. Conclusion. Drug poisoning was observed predominantly among girls; it is worth noting the high percentage of youth who had a history of suicide attempt.

Keywords : Adolescent; Drug poisoning.

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