Intercontinental comparison of caustic ingestion in children

Abstract

PurposeTo investigate the caustic ingestion in children among different continents according to demographic characteristics (core purpose), main symptoms, common caustic agents, signs and symptoms, management, treatment and complications.MethodsThis systematic review was performed by searching the databases Science Direct, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and PubMed, electronically and manually. We included studies that were published from 1980 to 2013, at University of Medical Sciences of Tabriz, Iran. A strategic search was performed with keywords including caustic, corrosive, ingestion and children, and was limited to articles in English and Persian. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS ver. 18.ResultsOf 63 selected articles of caustic ingestion with 9,888 samples, the proportion of Africa was 3 articles (4.8%) and 95 samples (1%), America 9 articles (14.3%) and 305 sample (3%), Asia 29 articles (46%) and 2,780 samples (28.1%), Europe 17 articles (27%) and 3,002 samples (30.4%), and Oceania 5 articles (7.9%) and 3,706 samples (37.5%). The average age was in the Africa 3.07±2.02 years, America 3.17±1.83 years, Asia 3.34±1.58 years, Europe 3.58±2.09 years and Oceania 3.52±2.02 years. Sex distribution was in Africa 76 males (0.91%) and 19 females (0.23%), America 49 males (0.58%) and 41 females (0.49%), Asia 1,575 males (18.76%) and 1,087 females (12.95%), Europe 1,018 males (12.13%) and 823 females (9.8%), and Oceania 1,918 males (22.85%) and 1,788 females (21.3%). Statistical analysis of the data indicated higher consumption in Europe and Oceania in the boys with higher average age of years.ConclusionThe comparison of caustic ingestion indicated that the cause substances of caustic ingestion in children are different among continents, therefore prevention strategy and different treatment guidelines among continents will be needed.

Caustic Ingestion in Children: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“… 2 , 9 Families, manufacturing, government and health staff have a major role in the control and management of these accidents. 5 , 9 , 18 , 19 Persist and ongoing communication among these teams could reduce the rate of accidents or modify the course of the disease. 18 , 20 The aim of study was to evaluate age distribution, sex ratio type of caustic agents, signs and symptoms, complications, and management of caustic ingestion in children by a systematic review and meta-analysis research method.…”

<p>Foreign Body and Caustic Substance Ingestion in Childhood</p>

“…It is usually an accidental occurrence when an unsupervised child is curious about strong alkaline (pH>11.5) or acid substances or tastes and ingests the substance thinking that it is food. 10,11,48,49 Risk factors have been reported to be male gender, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, low educational level of the parents, young parents, inadequate parental supervision and living in a rural area. In children aged over 5 years and adolescents, the ingestion of caustic substance is accepted as a generally deliberate act.…”

Guía de práctica clínica Ibero-Latinoamericana sobre la esofagitis cáustica en Pediatría: Fisiopatología y diagnóstico clínico-endoscópico (1ª. Parte)

“…El blanqueador doméstico es el principal agente cáustico ingerido; tradicionalmente contiene hipoclorito de sodio, una solución alcalina con un pH ≥ 11 que usualmente se presenta a una concentración variable entre 5 y 12%, siendo menos peligrosa la de menor concentración (7,9,10). Los ácidos constituyen entre el 3%-40% de las ingestas de cáusticos, dependiendo de la zona geográfica 8,[10][11][12][13] . La ingesta de ácidos fuertes con pH < 2 resulta en necrosis coagulativa como resultado de la isquemia con menor probabilidad de penetrar y perforar [13][14][15][16][17][18] .…”