Using Syndromic Surveillance to Characterize Unintentional Ingestions in Children

Unintentional Ingestions (UIs) in NYC were investigated for children under 5 years using syndromic surveillance data. Emergency Department visits for UIs have remained stable in this population from 2010 through July 2014, with foreign bodies such as coins and medications comprising the bulk of these visits. Among medications, analgesics were the most common known source of poisoning.  Our results corroborate findings from the Poison Control Center and will be used to identify all UIs in near real-time. Our results also suggest a link between accidental medicinal UIs and poverty level and living with grandparents, which we will further explore in future studies.