OBJECTIVE To establish a management pathway for pediatric emergency drug overdose cases, analyze the basic characteristics and medication behaviors of pediatric drug overdose, and provide practical experience and reference basis for standardized management.

METHODS A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted, consecutively enrolling pediatric emergency patients(aged 10–16 years) with drug overdose admitted to Peking University Third Hospital from January 1, 2019, to April 30, 2025. Demographic information, previous diagnoses, medication details, clinical manifestations, pre-hospital and emergency department interventions, and outcomes were collected. A multidisciplinary team comprising pediatricians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, and psychologists was formed to develop management protocols and implement processes based on 3 phases and 2 risk levels(high and low). Data collection and statistical analysis were performed using Excel and SPSS 26.0.

RESULTS The number of pediatric emergency department admissions for drug overdose had increased annually, with many cases involving comorbid mental disorders. This study ultimately included 185 cases, with an average age of (13.94±1.00) years and 159 females(85.95%). Depression was diagnosed in 121 cases(65.41%), with a median time to diagnosis of 5(2, 12) months. Ten cases(5.41%) had multiple drug overdoses. A total of 315 instances of overdose were recorded, with 75 cases(40.54%) involving the concurrent use of ≥2 drugs. Sertraline, lorazepam, and quetiapine were the most frequently reported drugs. Among 284 dose records, 213 cases(75.00%) exceeded the maximum daily dose, with a median overdose of 3.33(2.11, 5.29) times the maximum dose. All patients underwent gastric lavage, with a median observation time of 7.0(4.0, 10.0) hours; serum drug concentration testing was completed in 233 cases(73.97%). Twenty-five cases(13.51%) were admitted to the hospital, with no deaths reported.

CONCLUSION This study establishes a multidisciplinary management pathway for pediatric emergency drug overdose cases and analyzes the behavioral characteristics of such incidents in children. To address the challenges in the prevention and treatment of pediatric drug overdoses, it is essential to further refine the “physician-nurse-pharmacist-psychologist” collaborative model, analyze contributing factors, and actively develop intervention strategies and management systems.