title: The epidemiology and management of adult poisonings admitted to the short-stay ward of a large Scottish emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The emergency department of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary receives around 68,000 new adult admissions annually. All poisoning cases are admitted to a 14-bedded short-stay ward, except those admitted to intensive care or immediately discharged. This study aimed to analyse epidemiological trends and management of short-stay ward admissions for poisonings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adult (>13 years) poisoning presentations admitted to the emergency department short-stay ward of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary from 1 January-31 December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed using patient discharge summaries. During 2009, there were 1062 poisoning cases, of which repeat episodes were responsible for 15%. The mean age of presentation was 33.9 years (SD 14.4) and there was a female preponderance (62%). Almost half of poisonings were polypharmacy, alcohol was involved in 40% of cases and overdoses most commonly involved paracetamol (43%). Management involved basic observations only (66%), N-acetylcysteine (24%), naloxone (4%) and activated charcoal (1%). Liaison psychiatry reviewed 84% presentations and admitted 9% to the psychiatric unit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short-stay ward is important for acute management of poisonings and the data gained from this study should help to direct patient services appropriately.
authors: Emergency Department, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, UK. alison.teo.05@aberdeen.ac.uk
authors: A I C
authors: AI
authors: Teo
authors: J G
authors: JG
authors: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000506:poisoning; D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000506:poisoning; D000931:Antidotes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000506:poisoning*; D002606:Charcoal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D009270:Naloxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010343:Patient Admission; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011634:Public Health; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000931:Antidotes; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D002606:Charcoal; D000082:Acetaminophen; D009270:Naloxone; D000431:Ethanol; D000111:Acetylcysteine
keywords: Poisonings; alcohol; overdose; paracetamol; self-harm