Poisoning Patterns, Causes, and Implications for Hospital-Centric Interventions- A Retrospective Single-Centre Observational Study from India

Abstract

Poisoning poses a significant public health concern in India, with rising trends observed over recent years. The study aims to observe patterns of demographic characteristics, presentation modes, outcomes, and associated factors among poisoning cases in India. A retrospective observational study was conducted on data of individuals admitted for poisoning from 2019 to 2023. Demographics, mode of presentation, type of poisoning, poisonous substances, presenting complaints, ICU admission, outcomes, time of ingestion, time of hospital admission, time delay in treatment initiation, and duration of hospital stay were analysed. Among the 357 individuals, the majority resided in rural areas and had up to a high school education. The majority of the admitted cases were self-poisoning (77.1%) followed by accidental poisoning (22.5%) and one homicide. Most of the self-poisoning cases (42.1%) were young adults (20-29 years), and accidental poisoning (32.9%) were individuals in their forties. Pesticides (67.9%), especially organophosphate and snake bites (100%) were the most common poisoning agents of self-poisoning and accidental poisoning, respectively. Mortality was 5.2% in self-poisoning, and 1.2% in accidental poisoning cases. Most patients who succumbed to the poisoning were in their thirties, with 78.6% requiring ICU admission. These events mostly occurred in autumn, during the daytime. Most patients were unconscious at admission. Self-poisoning using pesticides was the most common reason for admission. Seasons, poisoning agents, time of admission, presenting complaints and treatment delay contributed to the morbidity and mortality. Establishing poison information centres and toxicological units in hospitals is essential for improved management strategies.