Citation

Bernardes SS, Turini CA, Matsuo T. Cad. Saude Publica 2010; 26(7): 1366-1372.

Vernacular Title

Perfil das tentativas de suicidio por sobredose intencional de medicamentos

Affiliation

Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brasil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Escola Nacional De Saude Publica)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

20694362

Abstract

This study presents the profile of suicide attempts using intentional overdose with medicines, treated at the Poison Control Center in Londrina, Paraná State, Brazil. A retrospective study of cases treated from 1997 to 2007 was performed. Suicide attempts were significant among unemployed men, housewives, and retired women, and there was an association with other substances in 51.5% of the cases, with a higher frequency among men. 51.1% of the men combined the medicine with an alcoholic beverage, while in women, 84.8% of the associations involved other medicines. The most frequent pharmacological groups were tranquilizers (25.5%), antidepressants (17%), anticonvulsants (15%), and NSAIDs (11.9%). Prescribers must evaluate patients correctly before prescribing psychoactive drugs, since this is the pharmacological group most frequently associated with suicide attempts. Awareness-raising campaigns for rational use of medicines and social programs for suicidal patients should also help decrease the frequency of such cases.

Language: pt