Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39934974›Full record

ArticleJournal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA2025

Three decades of pediatric drug intoxication trends in Taiwan (1985-2020).

Chih-Wei Lin, Wei-Yu Chen, Yu-Jia Lin, Pei-Chen Tsao, Yu-Sheng Lee, Chien-Chang Juan, Chen-Chang Yang, Mei-Jy Jeng

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Chih-Wei LinDepartment of Pediatrics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC.
Wei-Yu ChenInstitute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Yu-Jia LinDepartment of Occupational Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Pei-Chen TsaoInstitute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Yu-Sheng LeeInstitute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Chien-Chang JuanDepartment of Pediatrics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC.
Chen-Chang YangDepartment of Occupational Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Mei-Jy JengInstitute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPediatric drug intoxication is a significant public health issue worldwide. The present study aimed to delineate the epidemiology, exposure-related conditions, and outcome severity of pediatric drug intoxication cases in Taiwan for over a 36-year period.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study analyzed pediatric drug intoxication cases registered in Taiwan Poison Control Center (PCC-Taiwan) database between 1985 and 2020. Data on patient demographics, toxic substances, exposure-related conditions, and outcome severity were extracted and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings.

resultsAltogether, 19 893 pediatric drug intoxication cases were reported. The majority of cases involved boys (54.7%), and the highest percentage of cases occurred in children aged 0 to 2 years (56.4%), but there is a second, relatively lower peak in adolescents, where female cases outnumbered the male cases. Pharmaceuticals were the predominant toxic substances (70.3%), with most drug intoxication cases being acute (97.2%) and occurring at home (88.8%). Witnesses were present in 62.8% of the cases. The outcomes were mostly asymptomatic (51.0%) or involved mild discomfort (34.1%), with severe complications and mortality occurring in 0.76% and 0.37% of the cases, respectively. Unintentional poisoning accounted for 85.4% of the cases, whereas intentional poisoning was noted in 12.1% of the cases, with the highest rate seen in adolescents aged 15 to 17 years. Intentional cases mainly involved suicide attempts (68.4%) and predominantly occurred in girls (70.7%).

conclusionThis analysis of data obtained from PCC-Taiwan database for over 36 years reveals bimodal trends in pediatric drug intoxication, showing high rates in young children due to unintentional exposures and peaks in intentional poisoning among adolescent girls. Pharmaceuticals were the predominant toxic agents. Future efforts should focus on age- and sex-targeted preventions, public education on medication safety, and age-specific interventions.

Indexed as

PoisoningAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleRetrospective StudiesTaiwanChildrenDrugPoison control centerSuicide

Identifiers

PMID39934974
PMCPMC12718984

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.