Spectrum of Acute Pharmaceutical and Chemical Poisoning in Northern Bangladesh

Acute poisoning is a major public health problem in Bangladesh. It is a common method for suicide. A clear picture regarding clinical presentation, most commonly used toxic agents, background factors and outcome of poisoned patients is necessary in every region. The aim of this study was to investigate frequency and outcome of acute pharmaceutical and chemical poisoning cases in Northern Bangladesh. This was a retrospective descriptive study on poisoned patients with 18 years of age and above who were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital during 1st December 2011 to 30th November 2012. During the study period, a total of 956 patients were investigated. Males slightly outnumbered females (51.6%). The majority of patients (92%) were in the 18-40 year age-group. Regarding occupation, housewives were the most frequent (33.6%) followed by farmers (31.7%) and students (20.9%). Organophosphate compounds (OPC) were the most commonly used toxic agents (73.5%). Most of poisoning cases occurred following suicidal attempts (88%). Familial disharmony was the main cause of suicidal attempts (92.3%). Univariate Analysis showed that age less than 40 years, being married, living in rural areas and educational attainment below secondary level were significantly associated with an increased risk of poisoning (P<0.001). All tertiary hospitals should be well equipped with antidotes of OPCs and other supportive treatments in Bangladesh. Furthermore, strong rules must be applied to prevent the distribution of benzodiazepines without prescription. In addition, people with age of less than 40 years, housewives and farmers, rural residents and those with less educational attainment should be targeted for prevention and educational programs against deliberate self-poisoning.