A Study on Patients with Acute Poisoning by Household Products Referred to Alexandria Poison Ceriter at Alexandria Main University Hospital

Abstract

Acute pmsomng is on the increase nowadays due to rapid development in the pharmaceutical and more exposures of the victims to different types of drugs and household products

The present work aimed to study frequency, circumstances surrounding poisoning, clinical presentation and outcome of patients with acute poisoning by household products admitted to Alexandria poison center (APC) at Alexandria Main University Hospital.

The study entailed 546 patients with acute poisoning by household products admitted to APC during five months period starting from the first of February 2000 till the end of June 2000.

In the present study, patients with acute pmsonmg by household products (n=546) accounted for 13.3% of the total patients with acute poisoning admitted to the APC during the same period (n=4108).

The study showed that more than a third of patients were encountered in the age group less than 5 years (37.9%).

The study showed that girls insignificantly exceeded boys in the age group less than 5 years (41.2% compared to 35.2%). As regards old age group i.e. 60-70 years, the study revealed predominance of males over females (8.4% compared to 4.4%).