Pediatric poisonings due to cleansing agents reported in 1994 to the Toxicological Information Service of Seville, Spain

Abstract

A retrospective study of 46 poisonings in children due to detergents, cleansing agents and bleach in 1994 and reported to the Toxicological Information Service in Seville (Spain) is presented. Most children affected were under the age of 4. The most frequent products implicated were dishwashing liquids, degreasers and bleach, and then glass cleaners and general household cleansing agent. In children under 2-y-of-age the principal agents of poisoning were dishwashing liquids, glass cleaners and degreasers; from 3 to 7-y-old they were bleach and general household cleaning agents; and from 8 to 14-y-of-age floor cleaners and clothes softeners were most frequent. The accidental poisonings occurred at home in all cases with a greater number of boys affected (63.0%) than girls (37.0%). The principal route of exposure was ingestion (91.5%) followed by absorption from the skin (4.3%) and conjunctiva (4.3%).