Introduction:

The increasing use of toxic products on a global scale has generated a broad spectrum of problems. Suicide, among them, is an international health problem. In Cuba, it is the sixth main cause of death and the second in the group of 15 to 49 years.

Objective:

To characterize some epidemiological variables related to exogenous acute poisonings in infants.

Methods:

An observational descriptive retrospective study was conducted in a sample of 142 patients admitted with the diagnosis of exogenous poisoning in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of “Comandante Pinares” General Teaching Hospital, San Cristóbal, Artemisa province, during the period from January 2008 to December 2016.

Results:

The group of 10-14 years represented the majority of the sample for a 39.4%, and the 71.9% of the total sample was female sex. The largest percentage of the poisonings were intentional (suicide attempt) (64.1%). Drugs were the first (87.3%) of the toxic chemicals identified; the consumption of psychotropic drugs represented the 68.3% often associated with alcohol ingestion (20.4%). There was a predominance of neurological symptoms (66.3%). The gastric lavage was performed in 79.6% and it was necessary to perform gastroentero dyalisis in 65.4%.

Conclusions:

Exogenous poisonings are one of the preventable causes that increase morbidity and mortality in infants. Their attention must be with a multidisciplinary and intersectoral approach, which positively influences the quality of life of vulnerable population groups.

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