Accidental poison exposure among children in a regional hospital in northern KwaZulu-Natal before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background. Poisoning has been reported as the fifth most common cause of injury-related deaths in children younger than five years worldwide. Little is known about accidental poison exposure among children at regional hospital level. Regional hospitals generally provide more specialised support to primary care facilities over a larger area. During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown measures may have increased home-based unintentional poisoning. Objectives. To determine the frequency, outcome and type of accidental poison exposure in children admitted to a regional hospital and compare cases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. A review of admissions to Queen Nandi Regional Hospital in Empangeni was performed to document cases of accidental poison exposure over two years. Equal periods during 2019 and 2020 (April to December) were then compared. Children <13 years of age were included. Age, sex, date of admission, death or survival and type of poisoning were collected. Results. Cases of accidental poison exposure made up a small proportion of the total admissions over two years (n=252/5 071, 4.97%) with a low case fatality rate (0.40%). Boys made up the majority (n=132/252, 52.38%). Most were