Journal of Emergency Practice and Trauma

Clinico-Epidemiological study of poisoning in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Rabiul Hossain 1
Robed Amin 1
Ahmed Riyadh Hossain 2
Azizul Kahhar 3
Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury 4

1 Department of Medicine, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2 Neurology Department, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh

3 Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh

4 Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, UK

https://doi.org/10.15171/jept.2017.06
Abstract
 Objective: The scale of the problem of poisoning is enormous hence clinico epidemiological spectrum of all poisoning cases need to explore to generate the management tool.

Methods: This prospective study was done at two medicine units (Unit 5 and 10) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital from July to December 2010 where all poisoning cases were seen. A total of 2890 patients were admitted out of which 600 were taken into the study.

Results: Among the poisoning cases 29% were pesticide, 27% travel related poisoning, and 20% benzodiazepine. 70% of poisoning occurred below 30 years of age and male: female ratio was 3:2. Incidence of poisoning was highest among students (31%) and housewives (25%). Majority of the patients were from urban area (76%) and most common intention was suicidal (66%). Familial disharmony was the prime cause (63%) behind poisoning. 42% cases got admitted between 5-8 hours of poisoning and more than 80% patients were admitted in the hospital directly without getting any first aid anywhere. Sixty-eight percent had Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score above 10 during admission. Cardinal clinical features of poisoning were nausea/vomiting (63%), drowsiness (56%), miosis (31%). Seventy percent patients were treated with only general and supportive treatment and specific antidotes were used in 30% cases. Case fatality for pesticide, benzodiazepine/anti-psychotic, rodenticide and snake bite was 6.9%, 2.2%, 8.3% and 3.3% respectively.

Conclusion: To assess the magnitude of problem, awareness of the public for prevention, immediate first aid measures and quick hospital admission is crucial component of poisoning.

Keywords

Clinical
ٍٍEpidemiology
Poisoning
Tertiary care center
Subjects
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Journal of Emergency Practice and Trauma
Volume 3, Issue 1
January 2017
Pages 4-10

  • Receive Date 23 June 2016
  • Revise Date 26 June 2016
  • Accept Date 28 June 2016

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