Clinical Profile of Acute Poisoning Cases at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kashmir, India: A Descriptive Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Acute poisoning from a variety of substances is common in every part of the world. The sooner the initial resuscitation, decontamination, and use of specific antidotes, the better the outcome. The main objective of this study was to describe the clinical profile and outcome of poisoning cases admitted to SKIMS Medical college, a tertiary care hospital located in central part of Jammu and Kashmir India. Descriptive cross sectional evaluations were conducted on all cases that were admitted to the hospital’s emergency room over a period of one year from March 2022 to February 2023. The following parameters were examined using data taken from hospital medical records: socioeconomic factors, substances consumed, routes of intake, clinical symptomatology and severity of poisoning.300 patients were included in the study with different poisonings of which 35% were males and 65% were females. The most common form of poisoning was due to pesticides followed by rodenticides and opioid intoxication respectively. Majority of the patients had suicidal intent followed by accidental ingestion reported mainly in children. Few patient required intensive care admissions rest all were managed in general ward depicting mild severity of poisoning in majority of the patients. Three patients were brought dead to hospital secondary to opoid overdose and one patient died in hospital who had pesticide ingestion complicated by ventilator associated pneumonia. The less mortality in this study was likely due to mild severity of poisoning, early gut lavage and easy access to hospital. The effects of poisoning on the human body are negative regardless of the agents or method used and this has an impact on the treatment and outcome. Due consideration must be given to clinical, toxicological and epidemiological profiles. Therefore precise and prompt diagnosis, adequate treatment and effective preventative efforts are required. This study highlighted the importance of awareness and for the establishment of poison information centre for the better management and prevention of all poisoning cases.