Motives of requirement for health care consultations and factors associated to mortality due to poisoning
Main Article Content
Keywords
Toxicology, Poisoning, Antidotes
Abstract
Background: the poisoning is a public health problem. This problem requires continuous evaluation to decrease it. Our objective was to identify causes of requirement for health care consults and factors associated to mortality due to poisoning.
Methods: we assessed the requirements for health care consults during one year and the outcomes of these consultations in a center of toxicology. Odds ratios (OR) were used as risk estimator.
Results: there were 3116 consultations due to poisons. From these 79% required hospitalization. The identified causes were: be bite and wound inflected by poisonous animals in 57 % (44 % of these were due to scorpions); medications in 15 %; agrochemicals in 5 % and in 4 % prohibit substances (marihuana or cocaine). A poisoning caused by suicidal attempt was observed in 28 %. Mortality rate was 3/1000, and the mortality rate for suicidal attempt was 0.7 % meaning an OR = 6 (95 % CI = 1.3 to 31) compared with the overall mortality rate. The most frequent cause of mortality was organophosphorates poisoning (OR = 30, 95 % CI = 2.86-759).
Conclusions: the poisoning secondary to animals represented the most frequent cause for consultation. The suicidal attempt and organophosphorates intoxicatión were associated with higher mortality.
References
Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Estadísticas de salud de las Américas. Washington, DC: OPS; 1998.
Climent-Díaz B. Pasado, presente y futuro de las unidades de toxicología clínica en España. Memorias del XV Congreso Español de Toxicología. Valencia, 22 al 25 de abril de 2003. Rev Toxicol 2003; 20(2):1697-1748.
Mintegui-Raso J, Benito-Fernández MA, Vizquez-Ronco A, Femindez-Landaluce E, Gortizar-Arias P, Grau-Bolado G. Intoxicaciones en urgencias: cambios epidemiológicos en los últimos 10 años. An Esp Pediatr 2002; 56:2, 23-29.
Zúñiga-Carrasco I, Vázquez-Chávez D. Alacranismo (primera de dos partes). México: Secretaría de Salud, Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica, semana del 31 de diciembre al 6 de enero de 2007.
Alagón A, Carrillo C, Chávez-Haro A, De la Mora-Zerpa C, Larralde C, Lamas N, et al. Alacranismo (T63.2, X22). Práctica Médica Efectiva 2003. Disponible en http://ens.xochicalco.edu.mx/medicina/archivos/segundonivel/INFORMACION%20BASICA%20PARA%20DOCENTES%202009/(7)%20 GUIAS%20CLINICAS/Alacranismo. pdf
Bourre P, Frinot Joseph, P, Gil RE, Fils-Aime, Barrera RR, Goyffon M, Scorpion stings: a public health problem in Morelos (México). Sante 2005; 15(4):217-223.
Dehesa-Dávila M, Possani LD. Scorpionism and serotherapy in Mexico toxicon. Review Sep 1994; 32(9):1015-1018.
Sotelo-Cruz N. Envenenamiento por mordedura de serpiente de cascabel, daños a la salud y su tratamiento en edad pediátrica. Gac Med Mex 2003; 139:4,
Tay-Zavala J, Díaz-Sánchez JG, Sánchez-Vega JT. Serpientes y reptiles de importancia médica en México. Rev Fac Med UNAM 2002;45:212-219
González-Valiente ML, Capote-Marrero B, Rodríguez-Durán E. Mortalidad por intoxicaciones agudas causadas por plaguicidas. Rev Cubana Hig Epidemiol 2001;39(2):136-143.
Rodríguez-Pimentel L, Wilkins-Gamiz A, Olvera-Santamaría R, Silva-Romo R. Panorama epidemiológico de las intoxicaciones en México. Med Int Mex 2005;21(2):123-132.
Sudakin DL, Power LE. Organophosphate expusu-res in the United States: a longitudinal analysis of incidents reported to poison centers. J Toxicol Environ Health 2007;70(2):1-7.