One hundred cases of accidental poisoning occurring in Seattle, Washington, during the summer of 1958 and referred through the Poison Control Center were studied. Although this group probably was not representative of all Seattle children in whom poisonings occurred during this period, the information gained from a study of the circumstances leading to the poisonings has important preventive implications.
Eighty-two of the children were between 1 and 3 years of age. Aspirin caused 24 poisonings. In 19 of these cases it had been left out by another family member, and only three children found aspirin in the medicine cabinet. The medicine cabinet was the source of the poison in only 4 of the 100 cases. Poisonous berries and toadstools caused 14 poisonings and represent an important local hazard, particularly as most parents were not aware that the berries were harmful.
Whereas only 22 of the patients had previously suffered accidents, 25 had been poisoned before, several more than once. In 32 cases there had been recent or concurrent illness in some member of the household.
Three circumstances were found to occur commonly, and singly or in combination accounted for 86 of the poisonings: 1) In 26 cases some person other than the parents (siblings, other children, neighbors, relatives, friends) played an important part either by making it possible for the patient to reach the poison or by failing to put it away. 2) In 31 cases the parents did not think that the child could climb, open doors, unscrew caps, or perform other tasks necessary to get the poison. 3) In 53 cases the poison was not in its usual location, either because it was in use, because persons other than the parents had left it out, or because the parents themselves were careless. As most of these parents appeared to have some degree of safety consciousness and at least tried to provide a safe place in which to keep potential poisons, they would probably profit from specific advice based on the most common circumstances under which poisonings occur.
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