Original scientific paper
Alcohol Intoxication in Pediatric Age: Ten-year Retrospective Study
Kristina Bitunjac
; University of Split, School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Marijan Saraga
; Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Split, Split, Croatia
Abstract
Aim To examine the changes in the number of children
younger than 18 who were hospitalized due to alcohol intoxication
at the Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital
of Split, from November 1, 1997 to October 31, 2007.
Methods Data on children hospitalized due to intoxication
were retrieved from hospital medical records. Children
were classified into 4 age groups: 0-5, 6-9, 10-13, and 14-18
years, and their sex and type of intoxication were recorded.
For children with alcohol intoxication, data on time of intoxication,
reason for drinking, presence of injuries or suspected
suicide attempts, and possible presence of other
drugs in the organism were collected.
Results Out of 29 506 hospitalized children, 594 were hospitalized
due to intoxications. Out of these, 239 (40.2%)
were hospitalized due to intoxication by alcohol. More
boys than girls were hospitalized (71.1%). The proportion
of alcohol intoxication cases among all types of intoxication
cases increased from 16.7% in 1997/98 to 66.3% in
2006/07. The proportion of patients hospitalized due to
alcohol intoxication increased from 0.3% of all hospitalized
children in the first year to 1.7% in the last year of the
study (P = 0.015, z test for comparison of two proportions).
Eighty two per cent of alcohol intoxication cases were in
the 14-18 age-group. The number of alcohol intoxication
cases increased among girls from 1 case (6.3% of all intoxication
cases among girls) in 1997/98 to 15 cases (45.5%)
in 2006/07, while among boys it increased from 6 cases
(23.1% of all intoxicated boys) in 1997/98 to 44 cases
(78.6%) in 2006/07. Children usually drank outside their
homes (79.4%) and mostly on weekends and holidays
(73.2%).
Conclusion The alarming increase in the number of hospitalizations
due to alcohol intoxication in children, especially
among girls and in the adolescent age group, represents
a serious problem, which requires further attention
and research.
Keywords
alcohol; various intoxications; alcohol intoxications; hospitalizations; children under age 18
Hrčak ID:
38820
URI
Publication date:
15.4.2009.
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