Trends of drug-related poisoning cases attended to at a poison control center

A Retrospective Study of Epidemiological Correlations of Food, Drug and Chemical Poisoning in Al-Baha, Western Saudi Arabia

Poisoning is a common and severe problem worldwide. Due to significant growth in the agricultural, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries over the past few decades, poisoning risks have increased with the use of food, chemicals, and medicines everywhere in the world, especially in Saudi Arabia. Advanced information on acute poisoning patterns is critical for the effective management of poisoning events. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of patients with various patterns of acute poisoning, caused by food, drugs, and chemicals, that were reported to the Department of Toxicology and Poison Center at King Fahad Hospital and the Poison Center in Al-Baha Province, Saudi Arabia. The study also examined the relationship between demographic characteristics, including age, toxin type, and geographical distribution, and poisonings in Baha Province. This retrospective cross-sectional analysis included 622 poisoning cases. The data were collected from 2019 to 2022 and it was found that out of 622 instances, 159 had food poisoning, with more men than females sick (53.5% male and 46.5% female), 377 had drug poisoning (54.1% males and 45.9% females), and 86 had chemical poisoning (74.4% males and 25.6% females). This study found that the most prevalent agents implicated in acute poisoning were medicines, particularly analgesics and antipsychotic drugs. Food poisoning was the second most common acute poisoning, affecting largely males followed by female patients. Finally, chemical poisoning involved acute poisoning, with most cases involving methanol and household items including the strongest bleaches (chlorines) (Clorox^®, Oakland, CA, USA). Insecticides and pesticides were also secondary sources of chemical poisoning. Additional research revealed that the incidence of food, chemical, and drug poisoning was highest in children aged 1-15 years (food poisoning, n = 105, 66%; drug poisoning, n = 120, 31.8%); patients aged 11-20 years had the highest incidence of chemical poisoning (n = 41, 47.7%). Most poisoning incidents among youngsters are caused by easy access to drugs at home. Implementing strategies to enhance public awareness and limit children's access to drugs would contribute considerably to decreasing the community's burden of this problem. The findings of this study suggest that Al-Baha should improve its education regarding the rational and safe use of drugs and chemicals.

Providing a Population Based Registry Model of Drug Poisoning in Iran

Background

The prevalence of drug poisoning is on the rise in Iran due to the increased public access to drugs. A national drug poisoning registry system is a suitable tool for better management, control, and prevention of drug poisoning.

Objectives

This study aimed to propose a national drug poisoning registry model for Iran.

Methods

This was an applied research conducted in two major phases. In the first phase, all sources pertaining to drug poisoning registries were reviewed, and a national drug poisoning registry model was proposed. In the second phase, this model was validated and finalized using a researcher-made questionnaire and through a two-stage Delphi technique.

Results

The focus of national drug poisoning activities and registry management reached the 100% consensus of experts at the Drug and Poison Information Center of the Food and Drug Organization (Ministry of Health and Medical Education). Goals, data sources, registry system structure, data set, standards, data exchange, registry features, and processes of the proposed model also achieved unanimous expert consensus.

Conclusions

Given the importance of a national drug poisoning registry in gathering, storing, analyzing, and reporting the data of patients, it is essential to provide a framework for evaluating and controlling drug poisoning and for generating valuable data for decision-making. The model proposed herein can offer the information infrastructure for designing and implementing such a system.

The trend of top five types of poisonings in hospitalized patients based on ICD‐10 in the northeast of Iran during 2012–2018: A cross‐sectional study

Background and Aims

Poisoning remains a major health issue in developing countries with high morbidity and mortality rates; also it is one of the most common causes of admission to hospitals. This study aimed to investigate the trend of the top five types of poisonings in hospitalized patients according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD‐10) in Imam Reza hospital, Mashhad, Iran.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study performed from March 20, 2012, until September 22, 2018. We collected data from all patients hospitalized for poisoning admitted to the poisoning center at Imam Reza hospital in northeast Iran. ICD‐10 was adopted to categorize all types of poisonings (T36‐T65). The results obtained were analyzed by SPSS 16.

Results

Thirty‐four thousand eight hundred and ten cases were included. The mean age of the patients was 29.64 ± 14.69 years, of them, 50.7% were males. Benzodiazepine poisoning (T42.4) has the highest frequency among other subcategories and it was more common among females (60.5%). Opium poisoning (T40.0) has the highest mortality rate (5.4%) among other subcategories that is more common in males (72.0%). The mortality associated with narcotics was the highest frequency (2.7%). Suicide (83.6%) was the most common cause of poisoning. Most poisonings occurred in summer (27.4%).

Conclusion

These findings could help health care managers and policymakers develop prevention and educational programs to reduce these poisonings and limit people's easy access to drugs and substances.