Retrospective Review of Cases of Intoxication in Medical Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Objective: Intoxication is a major public health concern worldwide. The aim of our study was to evaluate casesof intoxication in medical intensive care unit (ICU) in terms of demographics characteristics, complications,treatments employed, and mortality.Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, observational, descriptive study. The sample included patientsover 18 years of age who had been diagnosed with intoxication in the medical ICU between July 1, 2018, andJune 30, 2019. Patients’ demographic characteristics, laboratory values, Acute Physiology and Chronic HealthEvaluation (APACHE) II scores, poisoning severity scores, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, complicationsdeveloped, and clinical courses were reviewed. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality.Results: Eighty three patients were enrolled in this study. By sex, 56.6% of the patients were female and 43.4%male. Toxic agent exposure was unintentional in 25.3% of patients but associated with attempted suicide in74.7%. The causative agents were drugs (72.3%), mushroom (15.7%), methyl alcohol (8.4%), and pesticides(3.6%). Analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents were most common causative agents among intoxicationcases. The 28-day mortality was 4.8%. In all non-survivors, cause of death was methyl alcohol intoxication.Conclusion: Intoxication was most commonly observed in young, married women, most commonly caused bydrugs, and most often associated with attempted suicide.