title: Fatalities and hospitalisations due to acute poisoning among New Zealand adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute poisoning accounts for a significant proportion of the total burden of disease worldwide. While the rate of poisoning fatalities in New Zealand is comparable to other industrialised countries, demographic trends in incidence, particularly including socio-economic indicators and substances involved, are less well known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine demographic patterns and substances related to acute poisoning fatalities and hospital admissions in New Zealand among people at the age of 25 years or older.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records with a poisoning external cause of injury code were identified using the national mortality (1999-2008) and hospital discharge (2000-2009) databases, and population-based incidence and trends were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1841 fatalities and 29 881 primary hospital admissions over the 10-year period accounted for mean annual rates of 7.1 and 115.4/100 000, respectively. The majority of deaths from acute poisoning were among males with the converse for hospitalisations for self-poisoning. While hospitalisation for intentional poisoning decreased with advancing age, admissions for unintentional poisoning increased, especially in Pacific people at the age of 65 years or older. Overall, fatality and hospitalisation rates increased with increasing deprivation. Two thirds of deaths and hospitalisations were due to intentional self-poisoning. Carbon monoxide was involved in most fatal intentional self-poisoning events, while pharmaceuticals were the main agent involved in fatal unintentional poisonings and poisoning admissions, irrespective of intent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of hospitalisations and deaths due to poisoning in New Zealand adults are intentional self-harm episodes. A comprehensive approach to monitoring poisoning, the underlying risks and the implementation of interventions is required to minimise risks.
authors.affiliation: Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peiris-John
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kool
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ameratunga
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: adult; hospitalisation; mortality; poisoning