Ingestión de plantas en ni os menores de 5 a os con diarrea aguda infantil

The use of medicinal plants in infant acute diarrhea (DAI) is a common practice in Venezuela, and poisoning as a result is common. Such practice carries high economic and human costs from a high hospitalization rate, and high morbidity and mortality. The research objective was to describe the socio-epidemiological characteristics of children with diarrhea who ingested plants during the period 2003 in the Children's Hospital "Dr. Jorge Lizarraga. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective, and non-experimental study. 4145 medical records of patients <5 years of age treated for diarrhea at the Children's Hospital "Dr. Jorge Lizarraga” in Valencia, Venezuela, between January and December 2003, were reviewed. The sample was non-random and conveniently chosen, and consisted of 527 children who had a history of ingesting plants while suffering from diarrheal illness. Results: From all the consultations in 2003, 11.3% had acute diarrhea, and 12.7% had a history of plant consumption. 86.2% were <2 years, and out of these, the <6 months (30.7%) were the most affected. Male was the predominant sex. Marginal working class represented 86.9%. Chamomile ranked first as an alternative therapy for DAI, followed by mint. 74.6% received a single-plant infusion or tea, and 25.4% multiple-plant infusions. 14% of the patients with infant acute diarrhea and ingestion of plants had a higher frequency of hospitalization and mortality (2%). Mint, pazote, chamomile, pennyroyal and black tea were the most common plants ingested by children who died. Conclusions: Children <5 years with acute diarrhea who are treated by their parents with plant infusions as a therapeutic alternative are hospitalized more frequently, and tend to have more complications leading to an increased morbidity and mortality