TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1996//
TI  - Changing patterns of self-poisoning in a UK health district
JO  - QJM: Journal of the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland
A1  - Bialas, M. C.
A1  - Reid, P. G.
A1  - Beck, P.
A1  - Lazarus, J. H.
A1  - Smith, Peter M.
A1  - Scorer, R. C.
A1  - Routledge, P. A.
SP  - 893
EP  - 901
VL  - 89
IS  - 12
N2  - Details of admissions to a dedicated district poisons treatment unit in South Glamorgan were analysed to assess changes in self-poisoning patterns between 1987-1988 and 1992-1993. Self-poisoning rates increased in both men and women, with male rates showing a relatively larger increase, resulting in a fall in female to male ratio for person-based rates from 1.33:1 to 1.13:1. The highest age-specific rates in both period were found in 15-19-year-old females. Paracetamol was the most commonly ingested poison in 1992-1993, with 43.4% of episodes involving its use, compared with 31.3% of episodes in 1987-88. Antidepressant involvement in self-poisoning also increased from 11.3% of episodes in 1987-1988 to 17.6% of episodes in 1992-1993. Repetition of self-poisoning was relatively common, with 18% of admissions per year in 1992-1993 representing repeats. Although hospital admission increased in this health district over the study periods, this was not reflected in an increase in in-patient all-cause mortality, which was only 0.5% in 1987-1988 and 0.1% in 1992-1993.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1460-2725
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -