Epidemiology of Childhood Poisoning Cases Presenting to Lagos University Teaching Hospital Emergency Unit, South West Nigeria

Childhood poisoning is a significant but underreported cause of paediatric emergency admissions in Nigeria. This retrospective descriptive study examines the epidemiology of childhood poisoning cases presenting to the emergency paediatric unit of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos State, South West Nigeria, over a four-year period from 2020 to 2023. Records of 94 children aged zero to 15 years presenting with confirmed or suspected poisoning were reviewed. Data extracted included age, sex, agent of poisoning, route of exposure, treatment received, and outcome. Pharmaceutical agents were the most common cause of poisoning (42.6%), followed by kerosene and petroleum products (28.7%), household chemicals (15.0%), and organophosphate pesticides (8.5%). Children aged one to three years constituted the majority of cases (54.3%). Accidental ingestion at home accounted for 88.3% of incidents, with peak occurrences between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm when adult supervision was reduced. Gastric lavage was performed in 61.7% of cases. Overall case fatality rate was 7.4%, with organophosphate poisoning carrying the highest case fatality. Storage of toxic agents in food containers and inadequate child-proofing were the most common contributing environmental factors. Recommendations include public education on safe storage of medicines and chemicals, child-resistant packaging policies, and training of emergency staff in poisoning management. Keywords: childhood poisoning, epidemiology, LUTH, Lagos State, South West Nigeria.