title: Intensive care utilisation following attempted suicide through self-poisoning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate intensive care utilisation following attempted suicide through self-poisoning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of clinical records.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intensive Care Unit, Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients admitted over the period 1991-1995.
  
  
  RESULTS
  292 patients were admitted after a suicide attempt by ingestion of a poisonous substance or drug in overdose. 52% were mechanically ventilated. The mean stay was 6 days. Daily intensive care cost averaged Rs. 8000 for a ventilated patient. Fifty three patients died. The 292 patients constituted 10.2% of the total admissions to the unit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suicide as a medical emergency imposes pressure on the limited resources and facilities available in intensive care units. Concrete preventive measures are mandatory to prevent loss of life and health care resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gunawardana
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abeywarna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted