Clinical Analysis of 47 Hospitalized Children with Drug Poisoning and Pharmaceutical Care

OBJECTIVE To analyze the characteristics of drug poisoning in children, and to explore the diverse pharmaceutical services that pharmacists can provide in the process of prevention and treatment. METHODS The 47 children diagnosed as drug poisoning in Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023 were retrospectively enrolled. Combined with the actual situation of Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital, pharmaceutical services were discussed. RESULTS The majority of children with drug poisoning were adolescent girls. The main cause of poisoning was intentional drug ingestion for suicide, accounting for 33 cases(70.21%). Additionally, 12 cases(25.53%) were accidental ingestion by children and 2 cases(4.26%) of drug overdose were caused by parents misreading the dosage of drugs. The clinical symptoms included drowsiness and/or lethargy(28 cases), dizziness(16 cases), nausea and/or vomiting(14 cases), and abdominal pain(11 cases). The majority of toxic substances were psychiatric drugs, accounting for 39 cases(82.98%). After hospitalization, 40 patients(85.11%) were treated with gastric lavage, and 11 patients(23.40%) were treated with blood purification. Diuresis and catharsis were also applied to remove poison. In addition, specific drug antidotes were selected according to the type of poisons. Meanwhile, symptomatic and supportive therapies were used. Finally, all 47 patients improved or cured after hospitalization. CONCLUSION Based on the characteristics of drug poisoning in children, pharmacists can actively participate in prevention and treatment, in order to reduce the occurrence of drug poisoning and improve the prognosis of poisoned children. In terms of prevention, pharmacists should provide medication instructions and education when dispensing drugs, especially for psychotropic drugs and drugs with easily confused dosage. In the treatment, clinical pharmacists can provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care for poisoned children from various aspects such as drug detection and analysis, removal of toxics, selection of specific antidotes, and inquiry of drug dosage for children.