A comparison of the drugs taken in fatal and nonfatal self-poisoning.
نویسندگان
چکیده
The objective of this study was a) to compare patterns of drug use in fatal and nonfatal overdoses and b) to find out if toxic drugs are overrepresented in overdoses with fatal outcome. A total of 179 cases of fatal overdoses in Switzerland (population 6.6 million) were compared with 269 medically treated self-poisoners from the agglomeration of Berne (population 301,630). Because of frequent multiple drug use, all the different compounds taken singly or in combination with other drugs were recorded and grouped according to drug types. The patterns of the frequencies of drugs used were remarkably similar in both groups. The majority of the drugs were psychotropics (81% in fatal and 68% in nonfatal overdose). Twenty-nine completed suicides were the result of drug combinations specifically recommended by EXIT. In the remaining cases benzodiazepines were used most frequently in both attempted and completed suicide, often in combination with other drugs or alcohol. Barbiturates were the only drugs recorded significantly more often in fatal overdoses (9% vs 3%). No significant difference was found for tricyclic antidepressants (13% vs 10%), or other types of drugs. The results are consistent with our assumption that drugs with higher toxicity would be overrepresented in overdoses with fatal outcome. Barbiturates, which are well known to be dangerous in overdose, were clearly associated with fatal overdoses, but not tricyclic antidepressants. This, in our view, suggests that the risk of prescribing tricyclic antidepressants should not be overestimated. The frequent use of benzodiazepines in completed suicide, however, indicates that there are no truly safe drugs in overdose.
منابع مشابه
Self-poisoning in the UK: epidemiology and toxidromes.
Self-poisoning may be deliberate or accidental (as in most paediatric cases and many cases of drug abusers who overdose on their drugs of abuse). Either type of self-poisoning may be fatal, although the vast majority are non-fatal, particularly in children. Poisoning by some drugs can produce characteristic clinical syndromes (toxidromes) that may assist in determining to what a patient has bee...
متن کاملAn epidemiological survey of drug poisoning and a comparison with other poisonings cases admitted to a university hospital in Gorgan, Iran, 2008-2015
Background and aims: Acute drug poisoning is a major public health problem in the world.The aim of this study was to investigate the trends and characteristics of acute drug poisoning and to compare that with other poisonings in Gorgan, Iran. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done from March 2008 to march 2015. Data were obtained from me...
متن کاملAcute Poisoning in Elderly; a Five-Year Study (2008-2013) in Hamadan, Iran
Background: A good proportion of poisoned patients treated at poisoning wards are elderly. This study was designed to evaluate the epidemiologic pattern of acute poisoning in elderly in Hamadan, western Iran. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, poisoned patients aged 60 years and older treated at department of poisoning of Farshchian Hospital from March 2008 to March 2013 wer...
متن کاملA comparison of non-fatal self-poisoning among males and females, in Sri Lanka
BACKGROUND In the recent past Sri Lanka has had a high rate of attempted suicide by pesticide ingestion, among both males and females. Recent evidence suggests that these trends in self-poisoning may be changing, with increasing medicinal overdoses and changing gender ratios. In the past, attempted suicide in Sri Lanka has been described as impulsive acts, but research regarding aspects such as...
متن کاملAn Investigation of the Clinical Signs, and Frequency of Street Drug Poisoning in Patients Referred to Razi Hospital of Ahvaz City, 2008-2013
Background: Drug abuse is one of the major socio-medical problems of our time with a global scope. Abusing street drugs is on the rise among adults and is considered as a public health concern. In addition, limited studies are available in this regard. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of street drug poisoning in the Razi Hospital of Ahvaz in Iran during 2008-2013....
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica
دوره 90 3 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 1994