Accidental child poisoning and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at a referral Children’s Hospital in Greece

Purpose: Poisoning remains a major health problem worldwide. Most non-intentional acute exposures are non- or minimally toxic, but occasionally highly toxic substances need specific medical interventions. The COVID-19 pandemic with the lockdown that followed had a negative impact on the poisoning incidence. Methods: This was a retrospective study including data from 103 children that were examined during the period 2019–2021 at the Penteli Children’s General Hospital. Results: The most common poisons were drugs (N = 39, 37.9%) and cigarettes (N = 33, 32.0%). Detergents and insecticides followed with 5.9% (N = 6) and 4.9% (N = 5), respectively. The number of poisoned children was lower in 2019 (N = 25) compared to 2020 (N = 46). The majority were observed in 2020 (44.7%), during the Covid19 lockdown. Conclusion: Pediatric poisoning constitutes a global emergency. Despite the overall decrease in the pediatric visits, an increase in the poisonings was noted during the lockdown. Prevention should focus on adult supervision and proper storage of chemicals.