Citation

Dorado Pombo S, Martín Fernández J, Sabugal Rodelgo G, Caballero Vallés PJ. Rev. Clin. Esp. 1996; 196(3): 150-156.

Vernacular Title

Epidemiologia de la intoxicacion aguda: estudio de 613 casos habidos en 1994 en

Affiliation

Hospital Doce de Octubre, Madrid.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8650383

Abstract

Following a determined protocol, 613 acute poisonings (AP) attended at the Emergency Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Doce de Octubre, Madrid, in 1994, were studied. The incidence was 90/100,000 inhabitants. The number of cases was similar among sexes. The mean age of patients was 32 years and the median 29 years. Most poisonings were voluntary in nature (601, 98%); overall, suicide attempts accounted for the most frequent type of AP (354, 58%), but among male patients the alcoholic intoxication predominated (148, 48%). Among accidental APs, domestic accidents were most common and only one was occupational in nature. Poisoning agents: 1) pharmaceuticals: 96% for suicide attempts, particularly among females). The relative incidence of pharmaceuticals was consistent with data reported in other studies; benzodiazepines, 39%; antidepressants, 14%; pharmaceutical/patient ratio 1.4. Alcohol and to a lesser extent drugs, were the most common non-pharmaceutical toxic agents. The most common background for suicide attempts included depression and previous attempts. In alcoholism cases, alcohol and AP caused by drugs were observed in non drug-abusers. Three per cent of patients were admitted to the ICU and the mortality rate fell to 0.1%.

Language: es