Pattern of poisoning in the elderly: an experience from Tehran.
BACKGROUND
Poisoning is considered a significant health problem in the elderly. This study aimed to portray the pattern of poisoning in the elderly population of Tehran.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study included all patients aged 60 years and older with acute poisoning who attended the emergency department of the Loghman-Hakim hospital over a six-month period (n=299).


RESULTS
Episodes of poisoning were more common in men (70.9%) and the majority of incidents took place in the patient's own home (84.3%). Most episodes were accidental (53.2%) followed by attempted suicide (32.4%). Opioids and opiate products accounted for 54.02% of the non-pharmaceutical substances that were involved in episodes of poisoning. Overdose with opioids and opiate products, was higher in male patients than in female patients. The most frequently involved drug groups were benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and analgesics. The most common cause of accidental poisoning was overdose by drug abusers. The Poisoning Severity Score was minor in 25.4%, moderate in 52.2%, and severe in 17.1% of patients. Asymptomatic patients accounted for 5.4% of the total. Unfortunately, 11.7% of patients died. The main agents involved in the fatal cases were opioids and opiate products.


CONCLUSIONS
The commonest method of accidental poisoning was overdose in opioid and opiate abusers. Attempted suicide was also very common comprising about one third of all cases. The high mortality observed in this study warrants attention to the risk factors and prognostic factors of poisoning in elderly.
Karbakhsh
Mojgan
M
Sina Trauma Research Center, Medical Sciences/University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. mkarbakh@sina.tums.ac.ir
Zandi
Negar Salehian
NS
D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000506:poisoning; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations