Impacto de intoxicaciones alimentarias en pacientes pediátricos en el Hospital General de Machala IESS, del cantón Machala, Ecuador

Abstract

Food poisoning is a worldwide public health problem. Illnesses are caused by contaminants including bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals. These diseases can cause from gastrointestinal symptoms to chronic diseases, such as cancer. Therefore, our research project aimed to analyze the impact of toxic compounds present in food products of daily consumption in pediatric patients, to determine the prevalence, to describe the treatment, to quantify the cases of food poisoning and finally to propose preventive measures to reduce intoxications. A retrospective study was conducted from January to November 2024 at the Hospital General Machala IESS where the sample was 747 pharmacotherapeutic profiles where 76 pediatric patients were registered with a diagnosis of gastroenteritis, which is attributed to 10.2% being one of the four most common diseases attended, it should also be noted that it occurred in children under one year with 30.3%, the female gender predominated and the treatment described was electrolyte solutions, antibiotics, analgesics and probiotics, which were the most used. In order to reduce the impact of food poisoning, measures such as adequate hygiene and food preservation, limited consumption of fast food or food prepared without supervision are proposed.