This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Sahin, H. A. Articles by Arabaci, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sahin, H. A. Articles by Arabaci, F. Pubmed/NCBI databases Substance via MeSH Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Sociodemographic factors in organophosphate poisonings: a prospective study

Department of Family Medicine, University of Yüzüncü Yil Medical Faculty, Van, Turkey; Yüzüncü Yilüniversitesi TWp Fakü ltesi, Aile HekimligQi Anabilim DalW, 65100 Van, Turkey; drhsahin{at}hotmail.com

Idris Sahin

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Yüzüncü Yil Medical Faculty, Van, Turkey

Filiz Arabaci

Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Yüzüncü Yil Medical Faculty, Van, Turkey

The sociodemographic features of organophosphate poisonings (OPPs) in the east Anatolian region of Turkey were investigated in this study. All OPPs admitted to the Emergency Department of Yüzüncü Yil University Medical Faculty Hospital in Turkey from 1 April 1999 to 31 August 2001 were prospectively studied. Data collected included age, gender, education, employment and marital status, socioeconomic levels, time and route of exposure of the toxic agents, treatment before admission, duration of hospitalization and complications.

The proportion of OPPs was 15.1% among 564 poisonings. Fifty-seven (67.1%) patients were female, 28 (32.9%) were male. Fifty-six (65.9%) cases were attempted suicides and 29 cases (34.1%) were due to accidental events. Mean age was 22.19–9.2 years in the suicidal cases and 43 (76.8%) of them were less than 24 years (P–0.001). Among the suicide attempts, 29 (51.8%) patients were unmarried and 43 (76.8%) patients were female. The attempted suicide proportion was 46.4% in men and 75.4% in women (P–0.008). Eighty per cent of cases had a primary education level or were illiterate and 78.8% of the patients were in the lower socioeconomic status. The patients' mean arrival time to the hospital after poisoning was 4.49–3.7 (1 ^/ 15) hours and mean hospitalization duration was 4.99–4.1 (1 ^/ 32) days. Exposure routes were gastrointestinal in 75 (88.2%), respiratory in five (5.9%), dermal in four (4.7%) and both dermal and respiratory in one case (1.2%). Seventeen patients (23.5%) were admitted to the ICU and four (4.7%) of them died.

In conclusion, OPPs especially affected young unmarried females, and most of them were due to attempted suicide. As OPP is the important cause of morbidity and mortality in the region, therapy should be started as early as possible so undesirable consequences can be avoided.

Key Words: organophosphates • poisoning • suicide

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 22, No. 7, 349-353 (2003)
DOI: 10.1191/0960327103ht376oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Arendse and E. Irusen An atropine and glycopyrrolate combination reduces mortality in organophosphate poisoning Human and Experimental Toxicology, November 1, 2009; 28(11): 715 - 720. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. Nakamagoe, M. Watanabe, T. Takeda, T. Mizutani, and A. Tamaoka Parkinsonism with organophosphate poisoning BMJ Case Reports, August 13, 2009; 2009(aug13_1): bcr0420091766 - bcr0420091766. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Akbaba, E. Nazlican, H. Demirhindi, Z. Sutoluk, and Y. Gokel Etiological and demographical characteristics of acute adult poisoning in Adana, Turkey Human and Experimental Toxicology, May 1, 2007; 26(5): 401 - 406. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. Mert and N. G. Bilgin Demographical, aetiological and clinical characteristics of poisonings in Mersin, Turkey Human and Experimental Toxicology, April 1, 2006; 25(4): 217 - 223. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E Teke, H Sungurtekin, T Sahiner, H Atalay, and S Gur Organophosphate poisoning case with atypical clinical survey and magnetic resonance imaging findings J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, June 1, 2004; 75(6): 936 - 937. [Full Text] [PDF]