title: [Endoscopic aspects of toxic ingestions during attempted suicides at Lome Campus teaching hospital (Togo)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and endoscopic aspects of attempted suicides treated in the gastroenterology department of Lome Campus Teaching Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study examined data collected over a 5-year period for patients admitted for attempted suicide by consumption of toxic substances (for example, caustics, medications, and insecticides) and who had an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Caustic lesions are described according to Di Costanzo's classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 3075 admissions in the department during the study period, 35 (1.14%) were admitted for attempted suicide. Only 21 of these cases (60%) met our inclusion criteria. The patients' mean age was 25.86 years old, and 71% were female. These attempted suicides were most frequent among high school and college students (52%). The ingested substances were mostly caustic in nature (13 cases). Twenty patients (95%) were admitted less than 12 hours after the suicide attempt. The dominant symptoms at the department were abdominal pain and throat inflammation. Ten patients had an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy within 24 hours after the attempt. In the case of caustic ingestion, severe lesions (IIb, III) represented 53% of the cases. An esophageal stricture was noticed on the patient admitted 45 days after a suicide attempt by ingestion of a caustic substance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of attempted suicides is underestimated here because most patients are admitted to the internal medicine or psychiatric departments. Caustic substances were the main substances used and caused severe lesions.
authors.affiliation: Service d'hépato-gastro-entérologie, CHU Campus Lomé, BP 61842 Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lawson-Ananissoh
authors.affiliation: Service d'hépato-gastro-entérologie, CHU Campus Lomé, BP 61842 Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bouglouga
authors.affiliation: Service d'hépato-gastro-entérologie, CHU Campus Lomé, BP 61842 Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagny
authors.affiliation: Service d'hépato-gastro-entérologie, CHU Campus Lomé, BP 61842 Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaaga
authors.affiliation: Service d'hépato-gastro-entérologie, CHU Campus Lomé, BP 61842 Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Redah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014037:Togo
keywords: Togo; clinical; epidemiology; suicidal attempt; upper digestive endoscopy