engleski

Intoxications in clinical settings

Treating intoxicated patients is a daily challenge in hospital emergency departments (ED). Intoxicated patients often require toxin-specific diagnostic and medical treatment protocol. Our aim was to investigate the demographic characteristics, intentions, toxic agents, and outcomes in acutely intoxicated patients. We performed a prospective, observational study that included acutely intoxicated patients treated in the ED at the University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia, during the years 2001, 2010, and 2015. A total of 1593 patients were included in the study (331 in 2001, 618 in 2010, 644 in 2015). According to gender, men were predominant (55.9, 65.2, and 70.7 %, respectively). Ethanol was the main intoxication substance (40.2, 69.4, and 75.8 % respectively). Anxiolytics were the main agent used in a suicide attempt, and the second most commonly used agent (46.5, 32, and 18.5 % respectively). During the years, there was a decline in suicide attempts (46.2, 22.2, and 17.1 % respectively). A total of 160 acutely intoxicated patients were treated in the Intensive Care Unit, i.e. 67 (20.2 %), 49 (7.9 %), and 44 (6.8 %), respectively. In-hospital mortality was low (0.9 % of all patients in 2001, 0.8 % in 2010, and 0.8 % in 2015). Interestingly, this study had a low mortality rate due to the good safety profile of substances. It is important to know which substances are commonly used in a population in order to apply diagnostic and treatment protocols. However, the challenge are new substances for which there are still no quick diagnostic tests or specific treatments available.

acute intoxication; overdose; poisoning; substance abuse; toxicology

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