Abstract
BackgroundSubjects with non-fatal poisoning may be left with permanent, disabling sequelae, and the resultant long-term use of medical services smay be a burden on the public health care system. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of poisoning in Taiwan from 1999 to 2008.MethodsWe analyzed poisoning-related data of mortality rates sourced from official Taiwanese vital statistics and of hospitalization from the National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database. The data were age-adjusted to the year 2000 Standard Population to determine 10-year hospitalization and mortality rate trends, which we stratified according to gender, age, and poisoning agent. Poisson regression was used to investigate the trends.ResultsThere were 20,260 deaths and 210,021 hospitalizations related to poisoning, with mortality and hospitalization rates of 8.21 per 100,000 and 86.30 per 100,000 population, respectively. Males exhibited higher rates of mortality and hospitalization as a result of poisoning, with the highest risk in those aged 65 years or older. Medicinal drugs followed by pesticides were the two most common agents of poisoning. There was an increasing trend of both poisoning-related mortality and hospitalization rates during the study period, with a greater increase occurring in the hospitalization rate than in the mortality rate.ConclusionsWe found the males aged 65 years or older were at highest risk of poisoning, with medicinal drugs being the leading cause. Hospitalization rates increased more than mortality rates over the 10-year period. Appropriate poisoning prevention programs need to be developed. We should strengthen case management and improve access to health services to increase survival in cases of poisoning.
Highlights
Subjects with non-fatal poisoning may be left with permanent, disabling sequelae, and the resultant long-term use of medical services smay be a burden on the public health care system
Cross-analysis of age and intention showed that death from unintentional poisoning was significantly higher in the 25-44 year and 65 years or older age groups (2.59 and 2.18 per 100,000, respectively) compared with other age groups; on the other hand, mortality rates from intentional poisoning were significantly higher in the 65 years or older, 45-64, and 25-44 year age groups (10.63, 9.44, and 8.86 per 100,000, respectively) compared with other age groups (Table 1)
Our study found that the population aged 65 years or older demonstrated a significantly declining trend in mortality; the results were similar to the European study of Petridou et al [16]
Summary
Subjects with non-fatal poisoning may be left with permanent, disabling sequelae, and the resultant long-term use of medical services smay be a burden on the public health care system. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that in 2000, unintentional poisoning resulted in 315,000 deaths worldwide. This represents 6% of all deaths from unintentional injuries, a proportion that is comparable with deaths from unintentional falls [1]. According to statistics from the American Association of Poison Control Centers in 2004, one poisoning case occurred every 13 seconds in the United States (US), with an incidence of 5.5-18.1 per 1,000 population. Among all unintentional injuries in the US, unintentional poisoning ranks as the second leading cause of death, surpassed only by automobile injuries [3]. According to health statistics in the United Kingdom, poisoning was the second leading cause of death among all unintentional injuries in England and Wales in 2004, ranked only behind fall injuries. As mortality from suicide poisoning declined between 1979 and 2004, mortality from unintentional and drug abuse poisoning rose to become the primary cause of poisoning [5]
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