Introduction: Drug intoxications may be associated with accidental or suicidal ingestion of toxic agents. In both cases, emergency treatment includes administration of the relevant antidote and gastric decontamination. If necessary, patients are followed up in wards and intensive care units, whereas a group of patients are discharged directly from the emergency department. Materials and Methods: The aim of this study was to conduct a retrospective evaluation of examination findings, laboratory investigations, duration of treatments, psychiatric follow-up studies, hospitalization rates and mortality rates in patients admitted to our emergency department due to drug intoxication between 2017 and 2018. Results: Of the 126 patients included in our study, 83 were female, with a mean age of 33.58 ± 13.58 years and a range of 18 to 92 years. Of all patients, 76 were hospitalized in the ward and 1 in the intensive care unit, while 49 were treated in the emergency department. One patient had mortality on the eighth day of hospitalization. Eighty-six patients had been on psychiatric treatment prior to admission, whereas 82 patients were referred to the psychiatry department after admission. The rate of psychiatric consultation was significantly higher in patients who were hospitalized in any department due to drug intoxication than in patients who were discharged directly from the emergency department (p

Fungal intoxications can lead to a variety of conditions ranging from simple gastroenteritis to severe neurological manifestations, and even fatal liver and kidney failure. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and demographic data of patients admitted to the emergency department due to fungal intoxication. The aim of this study was to conduct a retrospective evaluation of examination findings, laboratory investigations, duration of treatments, hospitalization rates, and mortality rates in patients admitted to our emergency department due to fungal intoxication between October 01, 2017 and October 01, 2018. Of the 40 patients included in the study, 25 (62.5%) were female, with a mean age of 44.83 ± 17.00 years and a range of 18 to 82 years. Nausea and vomiting had the highest frequency (28 patients) among the presenting complaints of the patients. Only 11 (27.5%) patients underwent gastric lavage and decontamination with activated charcoal, whereas 29 (72.5%) patients had no gastric decontamination. The highest frequency of admissions was recorded in November. The highest frequency of patient admissions was between 01:00 and 02:00. It was concluded that there was a low rate of the administration of gastric decontamination in patients admitted to the emergency department, especially those admitted to the ward. In our study, the majority of patients with fungal intoxication had early-onset mild symptoms. Particular attention should be paid to early diagnosis and adherence to appropriate treatment algorithms in emergency departments, particularly in patients presenting with late-onset symptoms that may result in mortality.

Introduction: Forensic cases are a significant problem in our country as in all over the world. This study aimed to examine the demographic characteristics, prognosis and related factors of forensic cases. Methods: A total of 46,732 patients aged 0-97 years who presented to our hospital due to forensic events were enrolled in the study. Patients’ demographics such as age and gender, the reason for admission, the time of admission, the clinics the patients were admitted to, the prognosis of the patients in the emergency department (ED) or in the clinics they were hospitalized were recorded. Patient information was obtained from ED patient records, hospital information management system and forensic reports, retrospectively. Results: The mean age of the 46,732 patients was 31.77±16.68 years. Mortality occurred in 246 (0.5%) patients. The admissions were higher in July and August compared to other months. The most frequent presentations were in the evening hours. The cases between the ages of 20-29 were much higher than other age groups. The most common type of forensic cases was traffic accidents in 23,177 (49.6%) patients followed by assault in 8,521 (18.2%) patients, occupational accidents in 5,680 (12.2%), and 5,576 (11.9%) drug intoxication. Conclusion: Traffic accidents take the first place in order of frequency in forensic incidents, which are observed 2.08 times more in men than in women. There is a need for further similar studies in order to develop standards, protocols and policies in prevention and management of forensic cases. Keywords: Forensic cases, traffic accidents, occupational accidents, emergency department, poisoning

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