A comparison of mortality rate caused by Aluminum Phosphide with other poisonings in Golestan Province, Iran, 2010 - 2016

Aluminum Phosphide (ALP) is one of the most common causes of death due to poisoning worldwide. The aim of this study was a comparison of mortality rate of Aluminum Phosphide poisoning with other kinds of poisonings in Golestan Province, Iran, 2010 to 2016.
This descriptive retrospective study was carried out on all referential bodies to Golestan department of forensic medicine who died due to ALP poisoning and other poisonings from March 2008 to March 2016. Data such as age, gender, marital status, occupation, education, residence, time and kind of poisoning, agent and location of poisoning and death were collected from patients’ medical records and analyzed.
Froma total of 420 deaths due to poisoning causes, 105 cases died from ALP (25%) which after Opioids is the second cause of death. Of 105 cases, 63.8% of them (n=67) were men and 42.9% (n=45) of cases were aged 20–29 years, 46.7% (n=49) of cases were married and 40% (n=42) of them had been educated up to high school. Moreover, 82.9% of cases (n=87) were living in urban areas. Also, 99% (n=104) of deaths caused by ALP poisoning were due to suicide attempt that occurred mostly in winter (33.3%, n=35).
0ur findings indicated that ALP toxicity was the second cause of death due to poisoning in Golestan province that was seen most commonly among men and due to suicide attempt.