Valsartan ingestions among adults reported to Texas poison control centers, 2000 to 2005.
BACKGROUND
Little data exist on potentially adverse valsartan ingestions reported to poison control centers.


METHODS
Using adult ingestions of valsartan reported to Texas poison control centers during 2000-2005, I determined the proportion of cases involving serious outcomes for selected variables and evaluated for statistical significance by calculating the rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).


RESULTS
Thirteen (7%) of 185 total cases involved serious outcomes. Serious outcomes were significantly more likely to occur with a maximum dose 320 mg (RR 9.06, CI 1.30-100.14) or 4 tablets (RR 9.00, CI 2.07-39.11) or where the circumstances of the exposures involved self-harm or malicious intent (RR 17.28, CI 4.98-67.13).


CONCLUSIONS
The severity of the medical outcome associated with adult valsartan ingestions depended on the dose and the circumstances of the ingestion. Such information is useful for creating triage guidelines for the management of adult valsartan ingestions.
Forrester
Mathias B
MB
Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas 78756, USA. mathias.forrester@dshs.state.tx.us
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000506:poisoning*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011039:Poison Control Centers; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000506:poisoning*; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014218:Triage; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000506:poisoning; D000068756:Valsartan
D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D013777:Tetrazoles; D000068756:Valsartan; D014633:Valine