Post-corrosive complications in different age intervals

Background: Acute corrosive poisonings occur due to the ingestion of acids,bases, salts from heavy metals, iodine tincture and many other chemicals, which are usually used as antiseptic cleaning solutions. Objective: The aim of the study is to demonstrate the influence of patients’age on the outcome of an acute corrosive poisoning. Design: Retrospective study which analyzed clinical records from the period 2007-2011. Patients: Retrospective material was analyzed from 415 patients, with ages between 14 and 90 years, who were admitted and treated at the University Clinic of Toxicology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. Interventions: Urgent upper endoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) in the first 12-24 hours for evaluation of the post-corrosive injuries in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Results: The research findings include 415 patients with corrosive poisonings, of which 295 (71.08%) were females and 120 (28.92%) were males. Also, 388 (93.49%) of the patients abused the corrosive substance with suicidal intentions, while 27 (6.50%) used it accidentally. Conclusions: The prevalence of poisonings with corrosive chemicals among the general population is at a rise, especially in countries that are less developed and where the health standards haven’t evolved as much as in developed and rich world countries. Easy access to corrosive chemicals in everyday life has brought upon the rise in the percentage of post-corrosive complications. Our study has demonstrated that the age of patients with acute corrosive poisonings has a statistically significant influence on the outcome of such poisonings. Key words: corrosive poisonings, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, gastrointestinal tract