Evaluating the Clinical Symptoms and Outcomes of Ethanol Poisoning in Children Under 18 Years of Age in Isfahan between 2016 and 2023 in Isfahan at Khorshid and Imam Hossein (AS) Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Ethanol poisoning is one of the most common poisonings in the toxicologic emergency department. This study aimed to investigate the clinical symptoms of ethanol poisoning in children and the outcome of treatment of these patients. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 1402. The inclusion criteria were ethanol-poisoned patients (children under 18 years old) who were admitted to Imam Hossein Children's Specialized Hospital and Khurshid Hospitals in Isfahan from the beginning of 2015 to the end of November 2014. Demographic information, clinical symptoms, length of hospitalization, and the outcome of treatment of the patients were recorded. Findings: 364 patients were included in this study, of which 320 were in Khurshid Hospital and 44 were in Imam Hossein (AS) Hospital. These patients had an age range of 1 to 18 years and an average of 14.73 ± 3.77 years (P = 3.7), of which 85.2 were boys. 86.1 of patients were older than 12 years old. The highest manifestation of the disease was related to nausea and vomiting in 196 cases (53.8), followed by a decreased level of consciousness in 123 cases (33.8). Most of the patients (98.1) were discharged from the hospital in less than 24 hours and with the improvement of their symptoms. Also, 3 cases of patients were hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the ICU. Conclusion: Ethanol poisoning was significantly higher in boys under 18 than in girls. A significant percentage of poisoning cases are abuse cases. Although the prognosis of ethanol poisoning in children was a complete recovery, a small percentage required long-term hospitalization. © 2025 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.