[Clinical presentation, therapeutic approach and outcomes in acute poisoning treated with activated charcoal. Are there differences between men and women?].
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there are gender-based differences in the clinical presentation, therapeutic approaches and outcomes in acute poisoning treated with activated charcoal.


METHODS
A descriptive study conducted in the Emergency Department of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona over the 7 years between the years 2001 and 2008. The study included poisoned patients who had received activated charcoal. The variables included, epidemiological data, clinical and toxicological presentation, therapeutic approach, time in emergency department and outcomes.


RESULTS
A total of 575 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 37.8 (SD 14.8) years and 65.7% were females. No differences were observed between males and females with respect to age, number of drugs involved in the poisoning or the number of tablets ingested, but a higher prevalence of benzodiazepine poisoning was observed in females compared to males (69.8 vs. 61.2%; P<0.05). Alcohol combined with drug poisoning was more common in males than in females (32.4 vs.18.8%; P<0.001). Administration of activated charcoal in non-drug poisoning was also more common in males than in females (7.9 vs. 3.2%; P<0.05). There were no differences between genders as regards clinical presentation of the poisonings, delays in care, hours of emergency department stay, treatment or outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Benzodiazepine poisoning was more prevalent in females than in males. Non-drug poisonings and alcohol combined with drug ingestion were more common in males. The clinical outcomes of the poisonings, delays in care, therapeutic requirements and admissions were similar between genders.
Amigó-Tadín
Montserrat
M
Sección de Urgencias Medicina y Sección de Toxicología Clínica, Servicio de Urgencias, Hospital Clínic, Grupo de Investigación Urgencias: procesos y patologías, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, España. montamigo@yahoo.es
Nogué-Xarau
Santiago
S
Miró-Andreu
Oscar
O
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002606:Charcoal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012737:Sex Factors
D002606:Charcoal