Factors affecting hospital admission and length of stay of poisoned patients in the North East of England

Abstract

<jats:p> 1 Poisoning is a common reason for presentation to hospital and hospital admission but there is no agreed policy for managing these patients. This study exam ined the management of patients presenting with poisoning and the factors affecting the probability of hospital admission and prolonged stay. </jats:p><jats:p> 2 Data on all cases of poisoning presenting to six Accident and Emergency departments in the North East of England over 12 weeks in 1994 was collected prospectively from A&amp;E notes. Length of stay and outcome were recorded from hospital computer records. </jats:p><jats:p> 3 Overall, 73% of patients were admitted to a medical ward. Probability of admission was not independently affected by age or gender but was increased in those with intentional poisoning (Odds Ratio (OR) 3.3 [95% CI 1.8, 6.1]), a history of self harm (OR 1.7, [1.0, 2.9]) or potentially hazardous poisoning (OR 3.7 [2.1, 6.6]). There were significant variations between hospitals (50 - 80%) which could not be attributed to case mix. </jats:p><jats:p> 4 Prolonged stay ( &gt; 2 nights) was more common in patients over 65 years (OR 6.8 [2.9, 16.1]), those with intentional poisoning (OR 2.7 [1.1, 6.6]) and those with potentially hazardous poisoning (OR 2.6 [1.4, 4.9]). Mean hospital stay was 1.5 days and varied signifi cantly between hospitals from 0.8 to 2.1 days and this was independent of case mix. </jats:p><jats:p> 5 There are appreciable variations in the management of poisoning between hospitals which are not explained by patient characteristics. Savings would occur if rates of admission and duration of stay were reduced by those hospitals where admission is more frequent or hospital stay is longer. However, the impact of this on long term morbidity is unknown. </jats:p>

Etiological and demographical characteristics of acute adult poisoning in Adana, Turkey

“…In this study, the period of hospitalization was found to be approximately 1.8 days. This period was found as 0.7 days by Özköse et al 6 , 3 days by Lamninpaa et al 38 and 1.5 days by Thomas et al, 39 The hospitalization period in our study is higher than the hospitalization rate found by Özköse and this may be caused by the higher rate of pesticide poisonings in our study. The length of stay can be affected by causes of poisoning such as drugs, pesticides, foods, in addition to the amount of the substance taken and to the non-intentional or intentional character of the poisoning, the latter presentable with more severe outcomes.…”

Profile and outcome of patients with acute toxicity admitted in intensive care unit: Experiences from a major corporate hospital in urban India

“…[1–3] The clinical course and ultimate outcome, in turn, is related to the agent, the dose, pre-existing comorbidities, the time from exposure to presentation to a healthcare facility and the experience of care provider. [167] However, there is scarcity of data from the Indian subcontinent regarding the epidemiology and outcome of patients presenting with acute poisoning, especially from those patients admitted to ICU. Hence, we aimed to determine the profile and outcome of acute toxicology in patients admitted to ICU of a tertiary care hospital in the cosmopolitan city of New Delhi, India.…”

Hospitalizations for Pediatric Intoxication in Washington State, 1987-1997

“…[16][17][18][19] Pharmaceutical agents are more frequently involved in teenager intoxications, whereas nonpharmaceutical agents are more prevalent in younger children. Importantly, the type of agent involved did not change significantly during the study period, and acetaminophen remains the most commonly ingested medication.…”