Clinicoepidemiologic profile of patients with poisoning presenting to a tertiary care hospital; a one year preliminary descriptive study

Introduction: Poisoning is regarded as a matter of concern for health providers as the burden of health resources loss can be high. Since nature and diversity of poisoning are different among various regions around the country, this study was conducted to demonstrate type and reasons for poisonings in Qazvin province, Iran. Objectives: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the reason of toxic events as well as presenting symptoms and outcome of poisonings. Patients and Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional and hospital-based study was conducted during a one-year period. The patients recruited to the study were consecutive intoxicated cases presenting to the hospital with alleged poisoning. Relevant epidemiological and clinical data from patients were collected and then analyzed using SPSS software. Results: A total of 23161 patients were admitted to the hospital, out of which 766 (3.3%) intoxicated patients were enrolled in the study. Mean age was 29.8 years old. Females outnumbered males but difference was not significant. The majority of the poisonings were deliberate (95.2%). Main clinical features of poisoning were decreased consciousness (47.4%), followed by lethargy (38.1%) and nausea/vomiting (31.9%). The benzodiazepines were the predominant agent ingested by patients, followed by opioids. Mortality rate was found to be 1%. Conclusion: Although the majority of poisoning cases are deliberate, however according to the type of pharmaceuticals involved in the poisonings and low-mortality rate, it is believed that the occurrence of the toxic events in many cases arises from impulsive behaviors originated from minor familial conflicts and incompetent life skills. Improving mental health and efficient coping skills can contribute to the reduction of intentional poisonings which in turn reduces the burden of hospital costs.