Information on childhood poisonings in Cyprus is limited. Our objective was to examine the epidemiology of poisonings among children in Cyprus. All children up to 15 years of age admitted for poisoning to the Archbishop Makarios Hospital in Nicosia, Cyprus between 2005 and 2008 were included in our study. All hospital poisoning records were reviewed. A total of 257 children were admitted for poisoning. The mean age of children was 3.1 years, of which 83.7% were below the age of 5 years old, while 53% were boys. The poisoning hospitalizations accounted for about 3% of all admissions to the pediatric department during the study period (4 years). The annual cumulative incidence of childhood poisoning hospitalizations was 116 per 100,000 children. Medications accounted for 46.1% of all poisonings, the most frequent cause being paracetamol (9.8%), cardiovascular medications (5.3%), antitussive medications (4.5%), and other painkillers (4.1%). Another 37.6% of hospitalizations involved household products such as household cleaning products (11.8%), petroleum products (11.0%), and rodenticides (5.7%). Among children who ingested petroleum distillates, 55.6% developed clinical symptomatology. The vast majority of cases were accidental (93.8%). Suicidal cases involved children 8-14 years old, mainly girls, and the most frequent poisoning ingested was paracetamol (46.7%). Poisoning hospitalizations represent an important cause of morbidity among children in Cyprus. Preventive strategies should include the education of caregivers on the handling of medications and household products as well as legislation requiring child-resistant packaging for all medications and household products including petroleum distillates.

BackgroundDuring the past decades Streptococcus pneumoniae has developed significant resistance to many classes of antimicrobial drugs. Potential risk factors for colonization of the nasopharynx by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children and for carriage of drug resistant strains were examined.MethodsBetween 2007 and 2008 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 402 children 6 months to 5 years old visiting the public sector immunization centers and outpatient departments as well as offices of paediatricians from private practice in Nicosia district in Cyprus. Information on demographic characteristics and potential risk factors of participating children were collected using a standardized questionnaire distributed to parents.ResultsIn multivariable analyses we found that attendance at day care center, having siblings in the family and having both parents originating from Cyprus, statistically increased the risk of pneumococcal colonization. Full immunization with PCV7 appears to be a protective factor against colonization by pneumococcus. Previous administration of antimicrobials during the last month prior to specimen collection appeared to be the most consistent risk factor for carrying a non susceptible strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae to either penicillin or erythromycin. Factors such as age, nationality, previous or current breastfeeding, passive exposure to cigarette smoke and attendance in a day care center do not appear as independent risk factors for colonization by non susceptible strains.ConclusionsPrudent use of antibiotics especially for upper respiratory tract infections in children as well as increased vaccination coverage by the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines could prove effective in reducing levels of colonization by drug resistant pneumococcal strains.

S. pneumoniae may cause serious invasive infections mainly in children and elderly adults leading to significant morbidity and mortality. This report describes the circulating serotypes and antimicrobial resistance of S. pneumoniae colonizing the nasopharynx of Cypriot children in 2007-2008 when the immunization coverage of children was still relatively low. The study focused on children between 6 months to 5 years of age in the Nicosia district. A nasopharyngeal specimen was obtained from 402 children who visited public immunization centers, public outpatient departments and the offices of private sector practicing pediatricians. The percentage of carriage was 35.3%. Intermediate and full resistance to penicillin was estimated at 39.4% and 1.4%, respectively. Intermediate and full resistance to erythromycin was estimated at 1.4% and 39.6%, respectively. Resistance to clindamycin was found to be 30.8%. MLSb was the dominant phenotype of resistance (77.2%). Multi-resistance was found amongst 24.1% of strains. Most frequent colonizing serotypes were 15B, 6B, 23A, 23B, 19F. The two vaccine serotypes 6B and 19F were highly resistant to both penicillin and erythromycin and were also multi-resistant at 27% and 50%, respectively. The percentages of fully immunized, partially immunized and non immunized children with the PCV7 were 24.6%, 14.3%, and 61.1%, respectively. Fully immunized children carried fewer vaccine serotypes in comparison with the non immunized children (p = .05). Some vaccine serotypes were among those more frequently colonizing children and exhibit significant resistance. An increase in vaccination coverage and prudent use of antimicrobials could have a significant impact on resistance.