3 Despite the underreporting, there have been reports, in Brazil and across the world, of cases of human poisoning and serious injuries caused by sanitizing products. Records of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) evidence that in 2009, there were 2,479,355 cases of human poisoning; cleaning

products were responsible for 212,616 (7.4%) of all cases and for 125,394 (9.3%) of the total cases in children younger than 5 years, second only to cosmetics (13.0%) and analgesics (9.7%).4 In Brazil, data from the National Poison and Pharmacological Information System (Sistema Nacional de Gefitinib Informações Tóxico Farmacológicas – SINITOX) evidence that, in 2009, there were reports of 100,391 cases of human poisoning; 10,675 (10.63%) of them were caused by sanitizing products, and half (5,091) of the cases occurred with children younger than 5 years.5 Brazilian and global data confirm a higher prevalence of such accidents in children

younger than 5 years and in males.2, 6 and 7 Among the sanitizing products, those containing caustic substances must be emphasized, as they cause serious injuries to the digestive tract, which can lead to an increased Saracatinib supplier risk for developing esophageal cancer.8 In addition, the ingestion of caustic products remains the leading cause of severe esophageal Rebamipide stenosis in children, representing the second leading cause of esophageal replacement in this age group,9 with greater difficulty regarding the dilating therapy and a higher rate of recurrence when compared to other types of esophageal stenoses.10 In pediatric patients, most cases occur

by accident. The storage of cleaning products in inadequate places and the way they are used have been identified as possible risk factors for these accidents to occur.11 Most accidents occur at home12 and 13 and at relatives’ homes,12 where children are exposed to improperly stored toxic substances.14 Other sociodemographic conditions associated with ingestion of caustic substances have been identified, such as: low maternal educational level, large families, maternal age younger than 30 years, and working mother.12 In Brazil, there have been no studies that demonstrated how these products are used in the household or identified risk factors for poisoning and/or injuries of the digestive tract. Thus, the current study aimed to assess the use and storage of household sanitizing products by the population of the Federal District, according to its different regions, socioeconomic classes, and educational levels regarding the presence or absence of children. This research was conducted in the Federal District (Brazil), a region that has a population of 2,570,160 inhabitants.