Advances in Pediatric Toxicology: From Diagnosis to Outcome Prediction

Acute poisoning and drug overdose remain a leading cause of pediatric emergency department visits and hospital admissions worldwide, encompassing accidental ingestion in young children, adolescent self-harm and substance misuse, and iatrogenic or environmental toxic exposures. Children present unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges compared with adults, including age-dependent pharmacokinetics, variable symptom presentation, reliance on indirect history from caregivers, and the limited availability of pediatric-specific antidotes and treatment protocols. Despite the substantial global burden of pediatric poisoning, evidence-based tools for early risk stratification, outcome prediction, and standardized management remain limited, and many clinical decisions continue to rely on adult-derived scoring systems and protocols that may not translate well to children.This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and management of acute poisoning and drug overdose in children. It welcomes contributions examining the epidemiology and changing patterns of pediatric toxic exposures, the development and validation of pediatric-specific risk prediction tools and scoring systems, the application of machine learning and other computational approaches to improve early identification of high-risk patients, and strategies for optimizing clinical decision-making and resource allocation, particularly in low-resource settings.To gather further insights into acute poisoning and drug overdose in children, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Epidemiology, trends, and changing patterns of pediatric acute poisoning and drug overdose• Pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical toxic exposures, including household chemicals, pesticides, and caustic agents• Development and validation of pediatric-specific risk prediction tools, scoring systems, and nomograms• Predictors of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, and mortality in pediatric poisoning• Management of specific toxic exposures relevant to children, including analgesics, psychotropics, cardiac glycosides, and pesticides• Adolescent self-harm, intentional overdose, and substance misuse presenting as acute poisoning• Antidotal therapy, decontamination strategies, and extracorporeal treatments in pediatric toxicology• Diagnostic challenges and clinical decision-making in resource-limited settings• Long-term outcomes and morbidity following pediatric poisoning events• Public health strategies, prevention programs, and caregiver education to reduce pediatric poisoning incidence• Comparative performance of pediatric versus adult-derived severity scores and prognostic toolsWe welcome original research, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, methods papers, clinical trial protocols, and case reports that advance the understanding and management of acute poisoning and drug overdose in children. Topic editors: Asmaa Sharif, Zeinab A. Kasemy, Zahraa Sobh Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86403/advances-in-pediatric-toxicology-from-diagnosis-to-outcome-prediction