Profile of Acute Poisoning Cases Treated in a Tertiary Care Hospital: a Study in Navi Mumbai

Periodic epidemiological studies are necessary to understand the pattern of poisoning in each region. This study was designed to evaluate the pattern of acute poisoning cases treated in a tertiary care hospital in Navi Mumbai, India. This cross sectional study was conducted at Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre during July 2012 to July 2013. All cases of poisoning admitted to the hospital were included in this study. The patients’ data were obtained from medical records and were documented on a pre-structured proforma. A total of 74 cases of acute poisoning were studied, of which 51.4% were men. Most of the patients aged 20 to 29 years (44.6%). In majority of cases, the route of exposure to poison was oral (86.5%). Most of the patients reside in urban areas (52.7%). Most of the patients were Hindus (85.1%) followed by Muslims (14.9%). The exposure mostly occurred between 6:00 pm to 12:00 am (30% of cases). The majority of poisonings (44.6%) was due to consumption of household products followed by pesticides (14.9%) and pharmaceutical agents (13.5%). Neurologic manifestations were the most common clinical findings (64.8%) followed by gastrointestinal manifestations (37%). All patients were treated successfully with no mortality. There was a significant correlation between gender and intention of poisoning (P < 0.001), as the suicidal attempts were higher in women (69.4%). Moreover, a significant relationship existed between marital status and intention of poisoning (P = 0.016) as the suicidal poisonings were most common among married individuals (45.7%). The trend in poisoning is never static. Household products were identified as the main cause of poisoning in urban areas of India. Educational programs with more emphasis on preventive measures are necessary to create awareness among the general public.