Drug poisoning and associated factors in Western Saudi Arabia: A five-year retrospective chart review (2011–2016)

Abstract

Objective:Drug poisoning is a globally common cause of emergency-room admissions. This study explores drug-poisoning prevalence patterns, associated risk factors (gender, age and exposure circumstances), and outcomes in western Saudi Arabia.Methods:Retrospective analysis of Clinical drug poisoning cases (2011-2016). The data were retrieved from the Saudi Ministry of Health’s record and Patients’ medical charts were analyzed.Results:The Ministry of Health received 1,474 reports of drug poisoning during 2011–2016. More than half involved females (n=885, 60%) or young children (0-4 years old) (n=764, 51.8%) and occurred accidentally (n=786, 53.3%); almost all had an oral route of poisoning (n=1,466, 99.5%). The cases most frequently involved analgesic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n=373, 25.2%); antiepileptic, antipsychotic, psychoactive, and anxiolytic drugs (n=229, 16.3%); antihistamine, asthma, flu, and cough drugs (n=157, 12.0%); and antibiotic, anti-fungal; and antiprotozoal drugs (n=74, 5.0%). Antidotes were administered in only 2.2% of cases, and no deaths were reported.Conclusion:The drug poisoning cases involved females and young children (younger than 5 years old) and the most cases were accidental, and the most commonly used drugs were analgesics (Panadol), followed by antipsychotics, antihistamines, and antiepileptics (Tegretol).

Sociodemographic Profile of Patients With Acute Poisoning in the Emergency Wards of a Tertiary Care Hospital

“…The studies conducted all over the world [33,40,44,45] were parallel to our findings in which out of the total 133 poisoning cases 110 (82.71%) recovered, 17(12.7%) were discharged against medical advice and 6 (4.51%) deaths in total ( fig. 1).…”

Prevalence of, and factors associated with health supplement use in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: a population-based cross-sectional study

“…It was somewhat surprising that the prevalence of adverse events in the present study was only 3%. A retrospective analysis of clinical drug poisoning cases ( n = 1474) from 2011 to 2016 in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia reported that only 3.6% of poisoning caused by drug overdose were due to vitamins and the majority of these were accidental (82.7%) and in the 0–4 year old age group (84.6%) [33]. One reason for the lower prevalence reported in Dubai may be because vitamin products were the most common type of HS rather than more problematic preparations containing herbs.…”

“…The concomitant use of prescribed allopathic medicine with over-the-counter HS creates a challenge for physicians as HS can interfere with the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of prescribed medicine causing reduced efficacy and possibly adverse events [3]. In 2015, a cross-sectional survey on the knowledge and attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine amongst senior (clinical phase) medical students ( n = 242) from one university in Saudi Arabia reported very low awareness of commonly used herbs such as St. John’s Wort, Echinacea , and Gingko biloba [33]. In view of these findings, healthcare professionals need to possess sufficient knowledge about HS to provide accurate advice to their patients [35].…”

Systematic review and single‐centre toxicology study identified analgesics and benzodiazepines as the main causes of paediatric medication poisoning

“…In Brazil, paediatric patients are children and adolescents up to the age of 19. The systematic review showed that special attention was paid to children aged 0‐5 and that 92% of the reviewed studies focussed on this age group 10‐16,18‐22 . The Brazilian toxicological centre study showed that there was a higher prevalence of medication poisoning in this age group compared with other ages.…”