BACKGROUND: Acute poisoning is a common cause of admission to emergency departments (ED) and often needs treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). Breathing and pulmonary complications are frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in acute poisoning. Aim of the work: To study respiratory system affection in acute poisoned cases as regarding: socio demographic pattern, their clinical manifestations, investigations and outcome according to poisoning severity score (PSS).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: It is a prospective study that was conducted at Menoufia poison and dependence control center (MPDCC) through one year from the 1st October 2016 to the end of September 2017. All acute poisoned cases with respiratory system affection admitted to MPDCC were studied. The socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from each patient in a designed clinical toxicological sheet. The studied cases were classified according to the poisoning severity score.
RESULTS: the study included 116 patients. The incidence of respiratory system affection among total numbers of acute poisoned cases during the period of the study was 4.2%. The most common age of cases was < 5 years (42.2%). Males outnumbered females (54.3% versus 45.7% respectively). Regarding (PSS); 41.4% of cases were of moderate grade. As the causing substance of acute poisoning, cholinesterase inhibitors and corrosives were the most prominent causative agents (30.2% and 27.6% respectively). Oral ingestion was the common route of administration (74.1%). ICU admission was indicated for 29.3% of cases. Mortality rate constituted 10.3% of cases.
CONCLUSION and recommendation: Respiratory system affection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in acute poisoned cases. Respiratory system affection in acute poisoned cases can occur with a lot of poisons mostly with cholinesterase inhibitors and corrosives. Children less than 5 years were commonly affected. Therefore it is recommended to conduct educational programs in rural areas, restrict the availability of pesticides and keeping them with other household products away from easy reach by children.