Profile of poisoning cases in a tertiary care centre in rural South India

BACKGROUND: Poisoning is the fourth most common cause of mortality in rural India. The commonest agents in India appear to be pesticides, sedatives, chemicals, alcohol, animal & plant toxins and household toxins. Our hospital receives an average of 20 to 25 poisoning cases every month.

AIMS: To profile all cases of poisoning those are reported to casualty department at Dr. Chandramma Dayananda Sagar Institute of Medical Education and Research (CDSIMER); to study the types and frequency of poisoning cases admitted to the centre; to study the socio demographic associations of the poisoning cases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Present study is a hospital record-based retrospective observational study of acute poisoning cases registered in the medicolegal register in the casualty of CDSIMER, which is a tertiary care centre situated in rural area near Harohalli, Ramanagara District, India.

RESULTS: Males constituted 58% of the cases and 33.52% of the cases were in the age group of 21–30 years. 81.4% of the cases were able to reach hospital between 1 to 8 hours. 56% of the cases recovered and were discharged within 3 days. In 22 cases the duration of admission was more than 2 weeks as they went into complications. Organo phosphorus group of insecticide was the most common type of poison consumed constituting to 40.8% of the cases followed by Snake bite. Attempt to suicide (60.35%) was more common than accidental poisoning.

CONCLUSION: Insecticides mainly Organophosphorus compound are the most common group of poisons which causes morbidity and mortality in rural Indian population especially in young adults between 21 to 40 years. Owing to the presence of forests in the region, Snake bite becomes the second largest type of poisoning. Suicide frequently prevails in the rural areas; financial problem is the leading cause for farmers to commit suicide.