title: Serious poisonings among older adults: a study of hospitalization and mortality rates in Massachusetts 1983-85.
abstract: We analyzed poisoning-related hospitalization and mortality rates among older adults living in Massachusetts during 1983-85. While poisoning-related hospitalization rates of individuals greater than or equal to 60 years were near the state average, death rates for men greater than or equal to 70 years and for women over 60 were higher than those of younger individuals. Medications and carbon monoxide were commonly implicated agents in these poisoning deaths. Older adults are more vulnerable to death from a poisoning than are younger age groups.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Poison Control System, Boston 02115.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woolf
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fish
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Azzara
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dean
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008508:Medication Errors; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012306:Risk; D013405:Suicide