A prospective study of acute poisonings in Finnish hospital patients

Abstract

<jats:p> 1 We have carried out a prospective study of all adult patients presenting with acute poisoning during one month to the Helsinki University Central Hospital (Meilahti Hospital). </jats:p><jats:p> 2 Two hundred and twenty-six cases of acute poisoning (113 males and 113 females) presented to the emergency department. Most cases in both men (66%) and women (67%) involved alcohol. As to drugs, psychotropic agents predominated in both men and women. The frequency of patient presentation peaked between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and was lowest between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. In most cases, the delay from ingestion of the poison to presentation was longer than 4h. </jats:p><jats:p> 3 The clinical status of the patients on arrival was generally good; more than half (55%) of them were fully awake. Serious symptoms (e.g. unconsciousness, insufficient respiration necessitating intubation, aspiration, convulsions or hypotension) occurred in 15% of the presentations. There were no fatalities. </jats:p><jats:p> 4 One hundred and thirty-five patients (60%) received at least one 50-g dose of activated charcoal. However, charcoal was given in 86% of the cases of drug poisoning. Gastric lavage was performed in 112 cases (50%), and 106 cases (47%) involved both gastric lavage and administration of charcoal. Twenty-one patients received antidotes (flumazenil, calcium gluconate or naloxone) and three patients were hemodialysed. </jats:p><jats:p> 5 Of the 226 cases, 142 (63%) were managed solely in the emergency department. Of the 84 cases admitted to the hospital, eight had to be managed in the intensive care unit. Almost all patients (94%) were discharged within 24 h. </jats:p><jats:p> 6 In this survey on 226 consecutive cases of acute poisoning, about two-thirds of the cases involved alcohol, while the most common drugs taken were psychotropic agents. The poisoning was mild in the great majority of the cases. Activated charcoal was generally administered in all but trivial cases of drug poisoning. </jats:p>

A retrospective analysis of acute poisoning during pregnancy

“…Pregnant cases constituted 7.5% of all women admitted with acute intoxication. Suicidal poisonings are reported in the literature to be more than accidental ones (11). In a study on acute poisonings from our country, it was reported that 48.2% were accidental, 51.8% were suicidal (5), however in another study, 76.7% were accidental and 23.4% were suicidal (12).…”

Predictors of Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with Poisoning: A Single Center Experience

“…15 Studies conducted in Spain and France reported that successful suicidal poisoning attempts were more frequent among men, whereas women primarily used less severe methods for suicide attempts. 16,17 The higher incidence of accidental poisoning in men may be due to the fact that men work more in agriculture and industry. In addition, alcohol and narcotic abuse are more common in Turkish male population.…”

A retrospective analysis of the impact of toxicological diagnostics on clinical decision making in cases of acute drug poisoning

“…The outcome in hospital care is good even with the cases treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) with the mortality rate less than 3%, [1][2][3][4] and in a Norwegian study by Lund et al the hospital mortality was even less, 0.8%. 5 The hospital length of stay (LOS) is usually less than one day.…”

“…5 The hospital length of stay (LOS) is usually less than one day. [1][2][3][4][5] The causes of intoxication include analgesics and psychotropic drugs, such as antidepressants and anxiolytics. 1,5 In Finland the most typical cause of acute drug poisoning is the intake of psychotropic products in association with alcohol intoxication.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5] The causes of intoxication include analgesics and psychotropic drugs, such as antidepressants and anxiolytics. 1,5 In Finland the most typical cause of acute drug poisoning is the intake of psychotropic products in association with alcohol intoxication. 1 Similar findings have been reported from Oslo, Norway, but for instance in a Scottish series paracetamol was the most frequent cause of poisoning.…”