Key findings
- An estimated number of 14,339 young children were hospitalised as a result of poisoning during the period 1999-00 to 2003-04.
- Rates of hospitalised poisoning injury were highest at the age of two years (males 366 and females 338 poisoning admissions per 100,000 population).
- The risk of poisoning from pharmaceutical substances was higher at all ages when compared to the risk of poisoning from non-pharmaceutical substances.
- Maximum rates of hospitalisation occurred at the age of two years for pharmaceutical substances and one year for non- pharmaceutical substances.
- Paracetamol was the most common pharmaceutical poisoning diagnosed in one and two year old children.
- Twenty-five per cent of non-pharmaceutical poisoning admissions in children aged two years and older were due to poisoning from noxious bites from arthropods such as spiders, bees and wasps.
- Over half of the children poisoned by solvents, pesticides and plants were one-year old or younger.
- The most common place for poisoning to occur in young children was in the home or in adjacent grounds.
Key findings
Introduction
Hospitalisations, Australia, 1999-00 to 2003-04
Age and sex
Principal diagnosis
The nature of poisoning admissions
Length of stay in hospital
Place of occurrence and activity
Discussion
The effectiveness of child-resistant packaging of medication
Data issues
- Cases included
- Age adjustment
- Data quality
End matter: References