Abstract
Objective : The goal of this study was to identify the proportion of patients with intentional and unintentional drug poisonings and determine demographic and other factors having significant association with type of poisoning. Material and Methods : The study was conducted at the Emergency Department of Mubarak Al Kabeer hospital, Kuwait from June 2010 to December 2012. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire with a consent form and patients were followed until discharge from the hospital. The underlying cause of the admission was identified to be drug poisoning based on patient interviews and evaluation. Results : A total of 116 patients were admitted due to drug poisoning. The majority of 63(54.3%) patients belonged to the age group of 12-29 years. Sixty seven (57.8%) patients had intentional poisoning. The causes for unintentional poisoning were, wrong dose 22(44.9%), duplicate therapy14 (28.6%) and drug-drug interactions 13(26.5%). There is significant difference between the groups having intentional and unintentional drug poisoning (p<0.001) with regard to age, marital status, level of education and occupation. Paracetamol was the most common drug involved in poisoning. Conclusion : Poisoning exists in Kuwait and its incidence will continue to increase with increased drug use and absence of public awareness and education. The risk factors identified in this study could stimulate further research and assist in targeted delivery of preventive strategies to protect public health.Objective : The goal of this study was to identify the proportion of patients with intentional and unintentional drug poisonings and determine demographic and other factors having significant association with type of poisoning. Material and Methods : The study was conducted at the Emergency Department of Mubarak Al Kabeer hospital, Kuwait from June 2010 to December 2012. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire with a consent form and patients were followed until discharge from the hospital. The underlying cause of the admission was identified to be drug poisoning based on patient interviews and evaluation. Results : A total of 116 patients were admitted due to drug poisoning. The majority of 63(54.3%) patients belonged to the age group of 12-29 years. Sixty seven (57.8%) patients had intentional poisoning. The causes for unintentional poisoning were, wrong dose 22(44.9%), duplicate therapy14 (28.6%) and drug-drug interactions 13(26.5%). There is significant difference between the groups having intentional and unintentional drug poisoning (p<0.001) with regard to age, marital status, level of education and occupation. Paracetamol was the most common drug involved in poisoning. Conclusion : Poisoning exists in Kuwait and its incidence will continue to increase with increased drug use and absence of public awareness and education. The risk factors identified in this study could stimulate further research and assist in targeted delivery of preventive strategies to protect public health.
Highlights
Poisoning is a major public health problem which involves in most cases significant costs for medical services and can be fatal
Poisoning exists in Kuwait and its incidence will continue to increase with increased drug use and absence of public awareness and education
The risk factors identified in this study could stimulate further research and assist in targeted delivery of preventive strategies to protect public health
Summary
Poisoning is a major public health problem which involves in most cases significant costs for medical services and can be fatal. The death rate related to drug poisoning has increased by approximately 300% over the past 3 decades and is considered the leading cause of injury death in the United States (US) [1]. Poisoning is the development of dose-related adverse effects after exposure to chemicals, drugs or other xenobiotics. It can be local (e.g., skin) or systemic, depending on the route of exposure, the physicochemical properties of the poison, and its mechanism of action. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US, in 2012 80% of the 41,502 drug overdose related deaths in the United States were unintentional and 13.2% were of suicidal intent and among people 25 to 64 years old. The pharmaceutical agent most often implicated in fatal poisoning is paracetamol [3]
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