Poisoning in childhood and adolescence: a study of 111 cases admitted to a military hospital.

One hundred eleven cases of poisoning (over a 4 1/2-year period) were retrospectively reviewed at a military medical center. Results of the review included the following: (1) two peak age ranges for poisoning were identified: the 1 1/2- to 4-year-old child who accidently ingests both drugs and non-drugs, and the female adolescent who ingests drugs as a suicide attempt or gesture; (2) hydrocarbons and aspirin were the most common agents ingested; however, if grouped, drugs with anticholinergic effects would replace aspirin as the second most common poison; (3) emergency treatment included emesis or lavage in four fifths of poisonings except in ingestions of hydrocarbons or caustics where its use is controversial; (4) incidence of recurrence of poison ingestion was three percent, and morbidity and mortality combined were less than one percent; and (5) two thirds of patients were asymptomatic on admission and hospitalized primarily for observation.