Clinical observations of drug intoxication.

Min, Dae Hong; Kim, Young Mi; Lee, Sang Hwa; Cho, Dong Young

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine 1991;12(4):8-16.
Published online April 1, 1991.

Clinical observations of drug intoxication.

Dae Hong Min, Young Mi Kim, Sang Hwa Lee, Dong Young Cho

급성 약물중독에 대한 임상적 고찰

조동영, 민대홍, 김영미, 이상화

서울기독병원 가정의학과 민중병원 가정의학과

Abstract

A clinical observation was made on 102 cases of drug intoxication admitted to the Seoul Christian Hospital via emergency room during one year from March 1989 to February 1990.
The observed results were as follows;
1. The ratio of drug intoxicated patients to total patients of emergency room was 1.6%.
2. Female was slightly more than male(1.2:1) and the age group of the third decade was of the largest proportion.
3. The motives of most intoxication(97.0%) were suicidal attempts.
4. In monthly distribution, July had the largest proportion(14.7%). The largest proportion of the time interval on arrival at emergeney room and of presumed time of poisoning was night(8 pm-12 pm).
5. The most common drug of intoxication was rodenticides(28.4%), the remainders were insecticides(21.6%) and sedatives(19.6%).
6. The chief complaints of the patients on admission were mental change(40.5%), nausea and vomiting(19.1%), abdominal pain(10.0%), but asymptomatic cases were as 18.1%.
The observed abnormal vital signs were tachypnea, hypertension, tachycardia and elevated body temperature in order of frequency.
7. The observed abnormal laboratory findings on admission were leukocytosis(57.4%), elevated transaminase(20.0%), elevated blood sugar(16.0%), anemia(13.8%) and elevated serum creatinine(5.3%).
8. The outcomes of the patients were recovery(64.7%), discharge against medical advice and transfer to other hospital(26.5%) and death(8.8%).