title: Patterns of poisoning and drug overdosage and their outcome among in-patients admitted to the emergency medicine department of a tertiary care hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poisoning and drug overdose (DO) are important health problems in developing countries. These emergencies are associated with high mortality and morbidity. Different factors affect the final outcome of patients. This study aims to review the pattern of poisoning and DO in an urban tertiary care hospital and also the determinants and final outcome of patients with poisoning and DO.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational, retrospective hospital records-based study at a tertiary care hospital (15 months). Data on demography, hospitalization, complications, type of poison/drug and outcome of patients with poisoning and DO were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi square test and ANOVA. P < 0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total of 296 records, 213 were included (122 poisoning, 91 DO). Organophosphates (OP) (32.5%), pyrethroids (17.2%) and organocarbamates (12.2%) were the commonly used poisons. Sedatives and antiepileptics (21% each) were the common DOs. Poisoning among men was greater than that among women (P < 0.001). Outcome parameters of hospital stay and ventilator requirement were significant (P < 0.001). The overall case fatality rate was 2.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OP compounds were the most common among poisons, while sedatives were frequently consumed drugs. Young adults from urban areas were the common victims with suicidal intention. Regulations, educational awareness and poison information centers will help to reduce the growth of this public health problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, India.
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.forename: Chanda
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kulkarni