title: Experience with acute poisoning in an intensive care unit. A review of 103 cases.
abstract: We present our experience with 103 adults with acute poisoning severe enough to warrant admission to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of the Johannesburg Hospital. They comprise only 6,1% of all adult cases of poisoning admitted to the hospital during the same 3-year period. The mortality rate was 5,8%. Active support of vital functions is the focal point of therapy and will ensure a favourable outcome in the majority of cases.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013019:South Africa