Citation

Forrester MB. Public Health 2017; 142: 50-55.

Affiliation

Department of State Health Services, Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries Section, 1100 W 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756, USA. Electronic address: mathias.forrester@dshs.state.tx.us.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.puhe.2016.10.015

PMID

28057198

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: There is little information on poisonings managed at military and Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals. This investigation described and compared poisonings reported to Texas poison centers that were managed at military and VA hospitals. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of poison centre data.

METHODS: Cases were poisonings among patients aged 18 years or more reported to Texas poison centers during 2000-2015 where management occurred at a military or VA hospital. The distribution of exposures for various demographic and clinical factors was determined for military and veterans hospitals and comparisons were made between the two groups.

RESULTS: There were 4353 and 1676 poisonings managed at military and VA hospitals, resepctively. Males accounted for 50.5% of the military hospital patients and 84.9% of the VA hospital patients. The mean age for military hospital patients was 31 years and for VA hospital patients was 50 years. The proportion of poisonings managed at military hospitals and VA hospitals, respectively, were intentional (70.0% vs 64.1%), particularly suspected attempted suicide (57.3% vs 47.7%), and unintentional (25.0% vs 30.5%). More than one substance was reported in 37.7% of military and 33.2% of VA hospital poisonings. The most commonly reported substance categories for poisonings managed at military and VA hospitals, respectively, were analgesics (28.4% vs 19.7%), sedatives/hypnotics/antipsychotics (24.7% vs 23.4%), antidepressants (18.7% vs 19.7%) and alcohol (11.3% vs 10.6%).

CONCLUSIONS: A number of differences were observed between poisonings managed at military and VA hospitals. These differing patterns of poisonings may need to be taken into account in the education, prevention and treatment of poisonings at these hospitals and among the populations they serve.

Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en