Experience of Indian emergency physicians in management of acute poisonings

Abstract

Indian Emergency Departments (EDs) encounter a significant number of toxicologic cases each year, approximately half of which are attempts at deliberate self-harm. The objective of this study was to understand trends in the presentation and use of resources for the treatment of poisonings in the emergency department setting. Between September 2015 and May 2016, we administered an online survey to Indian emergency department (ED) physicians. We queried respondents about common poisonings, treatments, and educational resources, including use of Indian poison centers. A total of 152 individuals responded to the survey. Respondents living in the eastern (64% of respondents) and southern (57% of respondents) regions of India were most likely to report not having a poison center as compared to respondents from the north. Most physicians instead used hospital protocols, textbooks, or online resources to guide treatment and education efforts. Despite frequent presentations of potentially life-threatening ingestions, often EDs do not rely on extensive poison center consultation. Although India has a poison center hotline, most physicians in the south and east were unaware of this resource, suggesting an opportunity for better physician education.