Acute Poisoning among Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Acute poisoning is a major global public health problem contributing to one of the leading causes for a visit to an emergency department. This study aims to analyse the demographic and psychosocial characteristics of patients with acute poisoning presented to the emergency department. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care hospital from June to December 2019 after obtaining ethical approval from Institutional review board (reference number. 041-075/0760). A convenient sampling method was applied. Epidemiological factors, types of poison consumed, reason, motive, and place to take poison, time elapse in the presentation to the hospital were studied. Statistical analysis was done using statistical package for the social sciences version 20. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: Out of 76 cases of acute poisoning, the organophosphorus poisoning was 18 (23.7%) followed by unknown 12 (15.8). Of total, 28 (36.8%) had quarrel before taking poison and 41 (53.9%) had intention to commit suicide. Sixty-seven (88.2%) took a poison at home. The average elapsed time to the visit of the emergency department was 110±80 minutes CONCLUSIONS: The most common poisoning was organophosphorus with a suicide being the most common intention. Quarrel was the most frequent reason to take poison and the home was the most common place to take poison.