Poisoned patients form a. group of patients presenting to emergency departments. Childhood poisoning is usually accidental and is usually associated with a low morbidity and mortality. In adults self poisoning is usually deliberate (suicide or parasuicide) and has a higher morbidity and mortality rate. Here patients presenting to Gazi University Hospital Adult and Pediatric Emergency Departments between January 2000 and March 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. 398 (81.8%) of the patients ingested toxic material as suicidally and 88 (18.2%) by accident. 47 (34.3%) of the male had ingested accidentally, 90 (65.7%) suicidally. 41 (11.7%) of the female had ingested accidentally and 308 (88.3%) suicidally. There was statictically significant difference between sexes as ingesting toxic material by accident or suicide were evaluated( c2 =32.26, p= 0.001). Mean age of patients was 21.75 ± 11.57. As ingestions by accident and suicide were evaluated there was significant difference between age groups(Pearson c2, c2 =253.5, p= 0.001). The most ingested drugs were nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents. Efforts to prevent suicide by poisoning may be more useful than treatment protocols.
Keywords: poisoned patients, emergency departments, retrospective analysis