ABSTRACT The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report of 2019 revealed that among the means adopted for committing suicide, poisons contributed to 25.8% of all cases in 2019. This hospital-based observational study was planned to generate epidemiological profile of acute poisoning from the state of Tripura. The main objectives of this study were to determine the pattern, commonly used substances, socio-demographic profile and treatment outcome associated with acute poisoning in a teaching hospital of Tripura. Overall one hundred ninety four patients admitted to the hospital with acute poisoning were the study participants. Information was collected on parameters like age, gender, type of poison, intention of poisoning and final in-hospital outcome. Quantitative data were expressed as means and standard deviation. Descriptive data were expressed in percentages and frequencies using charts and tables. Chi-squared test was applied to explore any association between treatment outcome and other variables. Organophosphate (OP) compounds were the most commonly used substance (30.9%) followed by drugs (21.13%). But mortality rate was very high (86%) among the Paraquat consumers. Treatment outcome of all the patients was associated with age group, ethnicity status, type of poisons and also with poisoning complications which were also statistically significant (P < 0.05). Poisoning cases were more common among younger people of this state and suicidal intention was the most common motive. The overall mortality rate in the present study was comparatively low which reflects good management of these emergency cases at this teaching hospital of North Eastern India.
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