Acute poisonings in geriatric population in a one year period

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the intent and most common substances involved in acute poisoning in geriatric patients. Methods: This was a descriptive study over a period of one year (2019) in which 92 geriatric patients aged 65 years were enrolled. Data from the national patient electronic system “My term” and from the Poisoning Information Center, University Clinic of Toxicology was used. Variables including gender, age, type of substance, route of substance administration, intent of acute poisoning, duration of hospitalization were analyzed. Severity of poisoning was made using the Poison Severity Score (PSS). Results: The participants were divided in two groups depending on the intention of acute poisoning: patients with intentional (attempted suicide 45.7%) and unintentional (abuse 26.1% and accidental 28.3%) toxin exposure. The majority of patients were male (52.2%). The mean age was 73.1 ± 6.3 years. The average length of hospitalization was 6.9 ± 8.3 days. There was a significant relationship between gender and intention of poisoning (p <0.001) with a higher prevalence of poisoning in women with suicidal intent (69%) compared to men (31%). There was statistical significance in mixed toxin exposure (p ¼ 0.001) in favour of the group with intentional poisoning and alcohol (p < 0.001) and gases (p¼ 0.035) in favour of the group with unintentional poisoning. The most frequent toxins were corrosives (26.1%), followed by patients who were exposed to multiple substances (21.7%). Most patients (55.4%) had minor effects and only 9.8% had severe poisoning. Six patients had a fatal outcome (four with intentional and two with unintentional poisoning). Severity of acute poisoning was statistically different between the two exposure type groups, with a higher PSS in the intentional poisoning group (p ¼ 0.023). Conclusion: Unintentional poisonings are more frequent in the geriatric population and the most common are acute poisonings with alcohol, followed by corrosives and medicines. With intentional suicidal poisoning mixed toxin exposure was most common, followed by corrosives and medicines.