title: Pattern of acute poisoning in Tehran-Iran in 2003.
abstract: To characterize the poisoning cases admitted to the Loghman-Hakim Hospital Poison Center (a teaching reference hospital of poisoning) in Tehran, Iran. All admitted acutely poisoned patients from January to December 2003 were evaluated retrospectively. Information of socio-demographic characteristics, agents and cause of poisoning, and the mortality rate were collected from medical records of the hospital. During this period, 24 179 cases were referred to the emergency department that 10 206 of them were admitted. Of the admitted cases, 51% were male and 49% female. The majority (38%) of cases were in the age range of 21-30 years. Most (79%) of poisonings were intentional and 21% were unintentional. The most important agents of acute poisoning were drugs (69.13%) especially sedative-hypnotics followed by opioids (12.34%) and pesticides especially organophosphates (OPs) (6.21%). The mortality rate was 1.3% (318 patients). Death was mostly occurred by opioids (41.54%), followed by drugs (28%) and pesticides especially OPs (12%). The prevention and treatment of poisoning due to opioids, pesticides specially OPs and sedative-hypnotics drugs should merit high priority in the health care of the indigenous population of Tehran.
authors.affiliation: Loghman-Hakim Hospital Poison Center, Faculty of Medicine and Toxicological Research Center, Shaheed-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors.forename: Shahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shadnia
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Esmaily
authors.forename: Ghazal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sasanian
authors.forename: Abdolkarim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pajoumand
authors.forename: Hosein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hassanian-Moghaddam
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors