Pattern Of Acute Poisoning Research Articles

Pattern of acute poisoning in Tehran-Iran in 2003

To characterize the poisoning cases admitted to the Loghman-Hakim Hospital Poison Center (a teaching reference hospital of poisoning) in Tehran, Iran. All admitted acutely poisoned patients from January to December 2003 were evaluated retrospectively. Information of socio-demographic characteristics, agents and cause of poisoning, and the mortality rate were collected from medical records of the hospital. During this period, 24 179 cases were referred to the emergency department that 10 206 of them were admitted. Of the admitted cases, 51% were male and 49% female. The majority (38%) of cases were in the age range of 21-30 years. Most (79%) of poisonings were intentional and 21% were unintentional. The most important agents of acute poisoning were drugs (69.13%) especially sedative-hypnotics followed by opioids (12.34%) and pesticides especially organophosphates (OPs) (6.21%). The mortality rate was 1.3% (318 patients). Death was mostly occurred by opioids (41.54%), followed by drugs (28%) and pesticides especially OPs (12%). The prevention and treatment of poisoning due to opioids, pesticides specially OPs and sedative-hypnotics drugs should merit high priority in the health care of the indigenous population of Tehran.

Patterns of Acute Poisoning by Drugs and Substances Abuse among Addicts: A Clinical and Laboratory Study

The drug dependency problem in Egypt and worldwide is currently one of the major issues of concern to the public as well as the professionals. This study was conducted on all addicts with acute poisoning by drugs and or substances abuse (n= 149). They were admitted to Alexandria Poison Center (APC) and critical care unit (CCU) at Alexandria Main University Hospital (AMUH) during six months period from January to June 2003. In this study, all addicts were clinically examined. Routine investigations, arterial blood gases and acid base status were done with detection of drug or substance of abuse in urine by Axsym and gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for negative urine samples. The study showed that 71.2 % of addicts were encountered in the age group 20

Pattern of Acute Poisonings in Mashhad, Iran 1993–2000

Drugs and chemicals are almost easily available in Iran. Natural toxins as poisonous plants and animals also exist in most parts of the country. Therefore, acute poisonings, either intentional or accidental and also drug abuse/addiction are common in Iran. In spite of these difficulties there is no center for poison control and surveillance in this country to gather information and analyse data. The files of a systematic randomised ten percent of all hospital-referred poisoned patients from 21 March 1993 to 20 March 2000 in Imam Reza (p) University Hospital of Mashhad (71589 cases) were screened retrospectively. Young adults (40.3%) and school children (22.9%) were the most vulnerable group. Mean age was 22.3 (S.D. 14.38) years with a minimum of less than one and a maximum of 98 years old. A female predominance was found (53.4%). Intentional poisoning was more common (54.4%) than accidental exposures (45.2%). Fourteen cases were classified as criminal poisoning. 79.7% of exposures were via ingestion, followed by dermal exposures (14.1%), and inhalation (6.2%). The majority (83.7%) of patients were from urban areas. Most patients (68.6%) were treated in the Emergency Toxicology Clinic and discharged, 19.2% were temporarily hospitalized and 11.3% were hospitalized for 24 hr. Main groups of poisons were pharmaceuticals (61.4%), chemicals (22.8%), and natural toxins (16.6%). The overall number of poisoned patients was higher in spring and summer (62.8%). In conclusion, acute poisonings, particularly self-poisonings, are common in Iran. Since medical documentation is not routinely provided in this country the results of this retrospective study can be used for surveillance. Establishment of fluent data gathering and analysis within the local health system are challenges for the future.

The pattern of acute poisonings with drugs during the period 1991-1995

The pattern of acute poisonings with drugs during the period 1991-1995

The pattern of acute poisonings with drugs during the period 1991–1995

The pattern of acute poisonings with drugs during the period 1991–1995

Drug overdosage and other poisoning in Hong Kong--the Prince of Wales Hospital (Shatin) experience.

From 1988 to 1991, 732 patients (91.1% Chinese) were admitted to four general medical wards at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong with acute poisoning. The patients were predominantly female (68.9%) and relatively young (86.3% below the age of 40). Further analysis of 655 patients indicates that the vast majority of patients (96%) were admitted after self-poisoning with drugs or chemicals while 4% of cases were due to accidental poisoning. The main agents used by the former group included hypnotics/sedatives (33.1%), household products (15.7%), and analgesics (13.7%). There were nine deaths (1.4%). When compared to other Western countries, two important variations in the pattern of acute poisoning were seen. A substantial proportion of drugs ingested by our patients were not precisely identified. 'Dettol', a household product, was commonly used for self-poisoning in Hong Kong. Territory-wide studies of longer duration are needed to provide the physicians in Hong Kong with much needed information on the incidence and the pattern of acute poisoning.

A pattern of acute poisoning in children in urban Zimbabwe: ten years experience.

1. A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the epidemiology of poisoning in children based on admissions to six of Zimbabwe's main urban hospitals over a 10-year period from 1980 to 1989 inclusive. 2. A total of 2873 cases were children aged between 0-15 years. This constituted 47.8% of poisoning cases from all age groups (6018) recorded during the study period. 3. All of the children (0-15 years) had signs and symptoms of poisoning on admission and, depending on their severity, were admitted to a ward or to an intensive care unit. A total of 4.9% (141) died. Most of those who died were suicide cases among the 11-15 year age group and accidental poisonings among the 0-15 year old group. 4. The under 0-5 age group constituted the majority of cases (75.4%) in the 0-15 age group, and most were between 1 and 3 years old. The 6-10 and 11-15 age groups formed 12.6% and 12% of the cases, respectively. The sex distribution showed that 53.1% were male. 5. Most incidences were accidental (93.2%). Suicides and parasuicides accounted for 1.9% and there were only two homicides. 6. The commonest toxic agents were: household products (27.2%), traditional medicines (23.%), venoms from snake bites and insect stings (16%) and therapeutic agents (12.4%). Of the therapeutic agents the most frequently implicated were antipsychotics 18.9%, analgesics 16.8%, anti-infectives 11.7%, anticonvulsants (8.2%) and benzodiazepines (7.7%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pattern of acute poisoning in a medical unit in central Sri Lanka

One hundred and seventy nine cases of acute poisoning constituting 1.1% of all admissions to the medical unit over 3 years were analysed. Eighty-three per cent of the patients were under 30 years of age and 72% were males. The common agents were: OP insecticides in 51%, kerosene oil in 12%, rat poison in 8% and drugs in 8%. Ingestion with suicidal intent was the common mode of poisoning. The overall mortality was 16%. The results from four other major centres in Sri Lanka are presented for comparison.