Epidemiology of Poisoning in Patients Admitted to Afzalipour Teaching Hospital in Kerman, Iran

Poisoning is one of the most common causes of hospitalization. The external causes of poisoning and toxic agents differ in age, gender, and occupational groups. It is essential to understand the epidemiological pattern of poisoning in each region to prevent it. This study was conducted to determine the epidemiological characteristics of poisoning in patients referred to the Kerman University of Medical Sciences teaching hospital.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed retrospectively. Medical records of poisoning patients were reviewed from October 2016 to October 2017. Data was gathered using a researcher-made checklist based on the minimum data elements needed to record the diagnostic expression of poisoning accurately. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software 24.

Poisoning was higher in males (52.1%), the 20-30 years-old age group (28.5%), single (52.8%), urban regions (80.6%), and self-employed (29.8%). The mean age of the subjects was 26.9±17.21. The external causes of poisoning were associated with marital status, age, gender, occupation, addiction, season, a personal history of suicide attempts, a family history of suicide attempts, and a personal history of poisoning. The toxic agent was also associated with age, gender, occupation, location, and external poisoning causes.

According to the result, poisoning often happens intentionally, so providing a suitable and stress-free family environment might be useful to reduce the amount of intentional poisoning. Educating parents with young children more about child care and how to store chemicals is also necessary.