A survey of patients with acute poisoning in the Sivas region, Turkey, between 1994 and 1998

Abstract

This study was carried out over the period 1994-1998 for the purpose of observing the poisoning incidence and of presenting a poisoning profile of the Sivas region, Turkey. During the study period, 1521 patients were admitted to hospitals with various poisonings in Sivas and these were retrospectively analyzed. The results were evaluated by a chi-square test. In 1521 (1054 females, 467 males) poisoning cases, the mean annual incidence of poisonings was found to be 0.048%. When poisoning cases were assessed etiologically, drug poisonings rated first (54.8%). The most commonly ingested drugs were antidepressants (39%), analgesic-antiinflammatories (31%), antihypertensives (7%) and miscellaneous drugs (23%). When the age groups were examined in terms of sex, the ratio of females with acute poisonings decreased with age (p<0.01). The period between 1997 and 1998 saw an increase in the number of females with acute poisonings (p<0.05). In general, it is recommended that a profile be drawn for a specific region every five years. Such a profile helps both medical staff and the public develop easy and practical strategies for the specified range of poisonings. It is important to realize that the present study is region-based, hence it may be thought to be difficult to draw conclusions for the whole population of Turkey. However, it is thought that this will form a basis for analyzing poisoning cases for the Turkish population, based on the data gathered in this study.

This study was carried out over the period 1994-1998 for the purpose of observing the poisoning incidence and of presenting a poisoning profile of the Sivas region, Turkey. During the study period, 1521 patients were admitted to hospitals with various poisonings in Sivas and these were retrospectively analyzed. The results were evaluated by a chi-square test. In 1521 (1054 females, 467 males) poisoning cases, the mean annual incidence of poisonings was found to be 0.048%. When poisoning cases were assessed etiologically, drug poisonings rated first (54.8%). The most commonly ingested drugs were antidepressants (39%), analgesic-antiinflammatories (31%), antihypertensives (7%) and miscellaneous drugs (23%). When the age groups were examined in terms of sex, the ratio of females with acute poisonings decreased with age (p<0.01). The period between 1997 and 1998 saw an increase in the number of females with acute poisonings (p<0.05). In general, it is recommended that a profile be drawn for a specific region every five years. Such a profile helps both medical staff and the public develop easy and practical strategies for the specified range of poisonings. It is important to realize that the present study is region-based, hence it may be thought to be difficult to draw conclusions for the whole population of Turkey. However, it is thought that this will form a basis for analyzing poisoning cases for the Turkish population, based on the data gathered in this study.