title: Self-poisoning treated in an ICU: drug pattern, acute mortality and short-term survival.
abstract: A total of 1558 admissions to an ICU over 5 years because of severe self-poisoning with drugs provides the basis for this study. Three drugs accounted for 60% of the admissions: overdose with barbiturates in 28%, with tricyclic antidepressants in 19% and with propoxyphene in 14%. The annual incidence of poisonings with barbiturates and tricyclic antidepressants was the same during the period, whereas the incidence of propoxyphene intoxication increased by 80%. Intensive supportive care was the main principle of treatment. All patients were artificially ventilated. The mortality rate was 6.1%, salicylate, propoxyphene and strong analgesics having the highest mortalities (11%, 9% and 9%, respectively). A mortality rate of 3% was found following overdose with tricyclic antidepressants. By 36 months after the overdose, 235 patients (18%) had died. The expected number of deaths was 39 (3%). The suicide rate in the follow-up period was 10%, in the majority (75%) of whom death was caused by a new episode of self-poisoning.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strøm
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thisted
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krantz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bredgaard Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000506:poisoning; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000506:poisoning; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000506:poisoning; D001463:Barbiturates / Q000506:poisoning; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000506:poisoning; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000453:epidemiology; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000506:poisoning
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001463:Barbiturates; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents