Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Causes of acute poisoning in adults: a retrospective study, in a hospital in Istanbul, Turkey

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aim

Acute poisoning is one of the major topics in emergency medicine practices. Despite the recent developments in toxicology, technological advances and changing lifestyles reveal new factors, and poisoning cases remain to be a problem. All poisonings should be considered serious and independent from their clinical presentation at the time of admission. Identifying the cause and prompt initiation of treatment is life-saving. Causes of poisoning vary between countries and different regions of the same country. In the present study, cases admitted to the Emergency Department of Internal Medicine at Haseki Training and Research Hospital were evaluated and causes of acute poisoning were investigated.

Subject and methods

Medical records of 675 cases of acute poisoning were retrospectively evaluated in the present study.

Results

The mean age of 675 cases included was 29.24 ± 13.71 years of age of which 66.4% were women. Drugs were the most common cause of poisoning (74.2%), which was followed by carbon monoxide (8.7%) and alcohol (8.4%) poisoning. Poisoning was deliberate in 73.5% and accidental in 25.6% of the cases. Treatment in intensive care unit was required in 6.6% of the patients.

Conclusion

Knowing the causes of poisonings will be beneficial in management approach and determining prevention strategies. Increased awareness of health professionals and public about regional causes of poisoning and prevention strategies will reduce morbidity and mortality associated with acute poisonings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aardema H, Meertens JH, Ligtenberg JJ, Peters-Polman OM, Tulleken JE, Zijlstra JG (2008) Organophosphorus pesticide poisoning: cases and developments. Neth J Med 66:149–153

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Andrew E, Irestedt B, Hurri T, Jacobsen P, Gudjonsdottir G (2008) Mortality and morbidity of poisonings in the Nordic countries in 2002. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 46:310–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aygun D (2004) Diagnosis in an acute organophosphate poisoning: report of three interesting cases and review of the literature. Eur J Emerg Med 11:55–58

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beers MH, Berkow R (ed) (1999) Poisoning. In: The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 17th edn. Merck, Whitehouse Station, NJ, pp 2619–2655

  • Bjornaas MA, Hovda KE, Heyerdahl F, Skog K, Drottning P, Opdahl A et al (2010a) Suicidal intention, psychosocial factors and referral to further treatment: a one-year cross-sectional study of self-poisoning. BMC Psychiatry 10:58

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bjornaas MA, Teige B, Hovda KE, Ekeberg O, Heyerdahl F, Jacobsen D (2010b) Fatal poisonings in Oslo: a one-year observational study. BMC Emerg Med 10:13

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cetin NG, Beydilli H, Tomruk O (2004) Retrospective evaluation poisoning patients in the emergency department (in Turkish). Med J SDU 11:7–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu J, Wang RY, Hill NS (2002) Update in clinical toxicology. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 166:9–15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fatovich DM (2002) Emergency medicine. BMJ 324:958–962

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goksu S, Yildirim C, Kocoglu H, Tutak A, Oner U (2002) Characteristics of acute adult poisoning in Gaziantep, Turkey. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 40:833–837

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greene SL, Dargan PI, Jones AL (2005) Acute poisoning: understanding 90% of cases in a nutshell. Postgrad Med J 81:204–216

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guloglu C, Kara IH (2005) Acute poisoning cases admitted to a university hospital emergency department in Diyarbakir, Turkey. Hum Exp Toxicol 24:49–54

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gunduz A, Kesen J, Topbas M, Narci H, Yandi M (2004) Analysis of suicidal poisoning patients presented to the emergency department (in Turkish). TAF Prev Med Bull 3:234–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu YH, Chou HL, Lu WH, Huang HH, Yang CC, Yen DH et al (2010) Features and prognostic factors for elderly with acute poisoning in the emergency department. J Chin Med Assoc 73:78–87

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Islambulchilar M, Islambulchilar Z, Kargar-Maher MH (2009) Acute adult poisoning cases admitted to a university hospital in Tabriz, Iran. Hum Exp Toxicol 28:185–190

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khlifi M, Zun L, Johnson G, Harbison R (2009) Etiological characterization of acute poisonings in the emergency department. J Emerg Trauma Shock 2:159–163

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kristinsson J, Palsson R, Gudjonsdottir GA, Blondal M, Gudmundsson S, Snook CP (2008) Acute poisonings in Iceland: a prospective nationwide study. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 46:126–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lau FL (2000) Emergency management of poisoning in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Med J 6:288–292

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Litovitz TL, Klein-Schwartz W, Caravati EM, Youniss J, Crouch B, Lee S (1999) 1998 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposure Surveillance System. Am J Emerg Med 17:435–487

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malangu N (2008) Acute poisoning at two hospitals in Kampala-Uganda. J Forensic Leg Med 15:489–492

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meggs WJ (2009) Epidemics of mold poisoning past and present. Toxicol Ind Health 25:571–576

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mert E, Bilgin NG (2006) Demographical, aetiological and clinical characteristics of poisonings in Mersin, Turkey. Hum Exp Toxicol 25:217–223

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ozkose Z, Ayoglu F (1999) Etiological and demographical characteristics of acute adult poisoning in Ankara, Turkey. Hum Exp Toxicol 18:614–618

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reissig CJ, Strain EC, Griffiths RR (2009) Caffeinated energy drinks: a growing problem. Drug Alcohol Depend 99:1–10

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sampathkumar K, Yesudas S (2009) Hair dye poisoning and the developing world. J Emerg Trauma Shock 2:129–131

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh B, Unnikrishnan B (2006) A profile of acute poisoning at Mangalore (South India). J Clin Forensic Med 13:112–116

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tufekci IB, Curgunlu A, Sirin F (2004) Characteristics of acute adult poisoning cases admitted to a university hospital in Istanbul. Hum Exp Toxicol 23:347–351

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vroegop MP, Franssen EJ, van der Voort PH, van den Berg TN, Langeweg RJ, Kramers C (2009) The emergency care of cocaine intoxications. Neth J Med 67:122–126

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wigle DT, Arbuckle TE, Walker M, Wade MG, Liu S, Krewski D (2007) Environmental hazards: evidence for effects on child health. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev 10:3–39

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang CC (2010) Acute poisoning in the elderly: an increasingly recognized but still overlooked problem. J Chin Med Assoc 73:183–185

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yeh IJ, Lin TJ, Hwang DY (2010) Acute multiple organ failure with imidacloprid and alcohol ingestion. Am J Emerg Med 28:255, e1-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zaridze D, Brennan P, Boreham J, Boroda A, Karpov R, Lazarev A et al (2009) Alcohol and cause-specific mortality in Russia: a retrospective case-control study of 48,557 adult deaths. Lancet 373:2201–2214

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Family Medicine, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Fatih-Aksaray, 34096, Istanbul, Turkey

    Zuhal Aydan Saglam & Baris Demir

  2. Internal Medicine, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Fatih-Aksaray, 34096, Istanbul, Turkey

    Esra Hayriye Ataoglu, Mustafa Yenigun & Levent Umit Temiz

  3. 5th Clinic of Internal Medicine, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Fatih-Aksaray, 34096, Istanbul, Turkey

    Tayyibe Saler

Authors
  1. Zuhal Aydan Saglam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Baris Demir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Esra Hayriye Ataoglu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mustafa Yenigun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Levent Umit Temiz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Tayyibe Saler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zuhal Aydan Saglam.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saglam, Z.A., Demir, B., Ataoglu, E.H. et al. Causes of acute poisoning in adults: a retrospective study, in a hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. J Public Health 20, 59–63 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-011-0436-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-011-0436-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation