Prevalence of Opioid Poisoning and Related Factors in Under 17-year-olds

Poisoning is among the leading causes of childhood injuries. With the increasing prevalence of substance dependence in the community, there is a rise in the frequency of children admitted to hospitals with drug intoxication. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of acute opioids poisoning in children.

The present cross-sectional study was performed on children under 17 years of age who were admitted to Sabzevar hospitals with a diagnosis of opioids poisoning. A researcher-made checklist was used for data collection, including the patient’s age, gender, intoxication agent, drug consumption route and form, hospitalization length and outcome, family’s educational level, occupational status, and living area. Besides, descriptive tests were used in SPSS to analyze the obtained data.

In total, 129 cases of opioids poisoning were reported during the study period. The mean±SD age of the studied children was 2.74±3.05 years. The minimum and maximum ages of poisoned children were 1 and 16 years, respectively. The liquid-soluble form was the most common form of opioids used (38.3%). Opium was also the most commonly used substance (68.45%). In 85 (65.89%) children, a decrease in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was observed at baseline. Moreover, 7 of the explored children have died. Besides, 90.7% of their fathers and 95.3% of their mothers had an educational level of a diploma or below. The most common factor associated with opium poisoning was the family’s substance dependence in 120 (93%) cases. Substance dependence in children was mostly observed in those aged 3-5 years.

Poisoning with opium is the most common type of children’s opioid poisoning in Sabzevar. A decreased level of consciousness is the most frequent manifestations in these patients. Therefore, in all children, by observing a sudden decrease in the level of consciousness without apparent reasons, especially along with other symptoms, such as acute diarrhea, restlessness, etc., it is recommended to consider opioids poisoning.