Factors Affecting Mortality and Complications in Mushroom Poisonings Over a 20 Year Period: A Report from Central Anatolia

OBJECTIVES: Mushroom poisoning (MP) is one of the world's leading seasonal and regional health problems. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between clinical factors and outcomes of mushroom poisoning. METHODS: The study was conducted in the emergency department. The patients who presented between January 1st, 1991 and December 31, 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: 599 MP cases were enrolled into the statistical analysis. The elderly group had a higher rate of mortality (8.8%) and complications (12.3%) (p=0.005) (OR 3.98, 95% CI: 1.9291 to 8.2290; p=0.0002). The patients who presented in summer had a higher rate of mortality (9.5%) and complications (11.9%) (p≤0.001). (OR: 3.83, 95% CI 1.7068 to 8.6074, p=0.0011). The rate of mortality and complications in patients who had eaten self-harvested wild mushrooms (WM) was 6.8%, while those who purchased WM had a mortality and complication rate of 15.2% (p=0.016), (Purchased WM OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.1609 to 5.2353, p=0.0189). The rate of mortality and complications in the patients who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms was 9.9% (OR: 3.98, 95% CI 1.5503 to 10.2679; p=0.0041). CONCLUSIONS: Factors such as being elderly, summer season, purchased WM, and gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly associated with mortality and complications in our study.