Comparative Study of Demographic and Toxico-Clinical Factors of Patients with Acute Poisoning Admitted to General Intensive Care Unit versus Specific Intensive Care Unit for Poisoning Cases

BACKGROUND: There is no dedicated specific intensive care unit (ICU) for poisoning cases due to the small number of poisoned patients in some poisoning centers and patients may hospitalized in the general ICU. In this study, we compared the outcome of hospitalization in poisoning and general ICU, in matched patients to demographical and toxico-clinical factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This historical cohort study was conducted from September 2020 to January 2022 in the general and poisoning ICUs of Khorshid Hospital affiliated to the University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Patient characteristics, clinical, and toxicological information as well as the therapeutic measures and outcome were collected from hospital medical records and analyzed. RESULTS: Totally, 178 (60.1% male and 39.9% female) patients met inclusion criteria. Medicines (56.2%) and opioids (25.3%) followed by pesticides (14%) were the most common substances. Suicide was the type of exposure in 78.7% of the cases. Most patients suffered from lung (19.1%) and kidney (15.2%) injuries. The mortality rate was 23.6%. The median length of hospital stay (P-value < 0.001) and duration of ventilator usage was higher (P-value < 0.001) in general ICU compared to specific ICU for poisoning cases. No significant difference with respect to demographic, toxico-clinical variables and mortality rate was found between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Among poisoned patients admitted to ICU, reported mortality rate was relatively high. Patients who hospitalized in the specific ICU for poisoning cases have lower length of hospital stay and duration of mechanical ventilation compared to general ICU.