Poisoning fatalities in Mangalor e, South India: A three year snapshot

Poisoning is an important public health issue in India and worldwide. The present research is aimed to assess the epidemiological variables of fatal poisonings in Mangalore, South India. A prospective study was conducted during May 2004 and April 2007 at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, India. A total of 130 fatal poisoning cases autopsied at the aforementioned centre were viewed during the study period. Poisoning deaths comprised of 7.5% of the total autopsies performed. Intentional self-poisoning constituted 79.2% of the fatal poisonings, followed by unintentional poisoning (19.2%). A male preponderance was observed, male-female ratio being 2.3:1. Majority of the cases (56.9%) were in the age group of 2140 years. Majority of the victims (86.9%) consumed the poison at their residence. Most of the cases (69.2 %) occurred in the rural pockets of Mangalore. Pesticides were the most common agent associated with poisoning related mortalities. Organophosphates alone were responsible for most of the fatalities (40.6%) resulting from poisoning. Suicidal poisonings present a significant social and public health problem in our region. Preventive programmes must be developed for high-risk groups identified in the study. Legislative control on the sale and use of pesticides, and stress management are recommended along with better health care facilities to prevent poisoning related mortalities.