Accidental poisoning is common, especially among toddlers aged between one and 3 years. Children explore their environment as part of their normal, natural development.
Fatal poisonings are more common in children under the age of 1 but the peak time for non-fatal poisonings is between the ages of 1 and 4. The danger is particularly high for toddlers - at around the age of 2, when young children become more mobile and able to get hold of poisons.
But children in particular face a greater risk for unintentional poisoning death and exposure than adults. This is not only because they are smaller, but also because they have faster metabolic rates. They are less able physically to handle toxic chemicals.
The highest death rate is among people age 45-49 years old and men are more likely to die from unintentional poisoning than women.
Children, especially those under age 6, are more likely to have unintentional poisonings than older children and adults. The most common poison exposures for children were ingestion of household products such as cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning substances, pain relievers, foreign bodies, and plants.
Those at highest risk for being victims of poisoning are the terminally ill and mentally incapacitated, drug addicts, the elderly, and the very young. Unwanted spouses or lovers compose another high-risk group. The offender is usually personally involved with the victim and is often a caregiver.
Children are uniquely vulnerable to adverse health impacts due to toxic and otherwise hazardous substances and wastes. They have higher levels of exposure and are also more sensitive to it, which makes them more vulnerable than adults.
Problem: Telephone contact with a poison control center may determine that accidental poison ingestion may not pose a risk of developing adverse clinical effect. Over 50% of reported human poisonings occur in children less than 6 years old.
Increased vulnerability results from children's rapidly growing and developing organ systems, such as the central nervous system and lung which, compared with adults are especially susceptible to toxic insults. Exposure to the same chemical may cause different health outcomes in children compared with adults.
Accidental poisoning is common, especially among toddlers aged between one and 3 years. Children explore their environment as part of their normal, natural development.
Young children's immune systems are still developing, so their body's ability to fight germs and sickness isn't as strong. Food poisoning can be particularly dangerous for them because illness can lead to diarrhea and dehydration.
One of the most common causes of poisonings in children are medications and vitamins. Children may accidentally ingest medication that was not stored properly or mistaken for candy.
As mentioned above, such factors as age and disease state that interfere with kidney function or biliary excretion in the liver can affect the toxic potential of chemicals in the body. The kidney's excretory mechanisms include filtration in the glomeruli and secretion and reabsorption in the renal tubules.
This increased risk of foodborne illness is because organs and body systems go through changes as people age: The body's immune response to disease grows weaker. The gastrointestinal tract holds onto food for a longer period of time, allowing bacteria to grow.
Infants and children are more sensitive to the toxic effects of pesticides than adults. An infant's brain, nervous system, and organs are still developing after birth. When exposed, a baby's immature liver and kidneys cannot remove pesticides from the body as well as an adult's liver and kidneys.
Medications. Medications account for about half of potentially toxic exposures. A child may ingest medications found in the home or a parent may unintentionally give a child more than the correct dose. Exposure to either prescription or over-the-counter medications can be poisonous.
The elderly may be more vulnerable to chemical exposure because of a decreased capacity to repair DNA damage caused by mutagens. Decreased immunologic defenses may also increase the vulnerability of the elderly to chemical carcinogens.
Death from acute poisoning is most commonly the result of either smoke inhalation or illegal drug use. Severe poisoning is only rarely due to the ingestion of chemicals (particularly detergents and cleaning products), cosmetics, or plant matter.
In 2021, pain medications (analgesics) continued to lead the list of the most common substances implicated in adult poison exposures. Sedatives and sleeping medications, antidepressants, and cardiovascular drugs followed.
Caustic substances are highly acidic or alkaline chemicals that can cause severe burns to the mouth and digestive tract when swallowed. When swallowed, caustic substances can burn all tissues they touch—from the lips to the stomach.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that can kill you quickly. It is called the “silent killer” because it is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non- irritating. If the early signs of CO poisoning are ignored, a person may lose consciousness and be unable to escape the danger.
In regard to poisoning, chemicals can be divided into three broad groups: agricultural and industrial chemicals, drugs and health care products, and biological poisons—i.e., plant and animal sources.