THE PROFILE OF POISONING CALLS BETWEEN 2005 AND 2014 RECEIVED BY HACETTEPE DRUG AND POISON INFORMATION UNIT

Abstract

In this report poisoning calls received by Hacettepe Drug and Poison Information Unit were epidemiologically evaluated. The ratio of poisoning enquiries was 23.3 % in all calls. In annual distribution of the numbers of poisoning calls showed a peak in 2006 with 18.1 % afterwards steadily declined in the graph. While pharmaceutical drugs were found as the main cause of poisoning with 58.1 %, household products and pesticides followed them. with percentages of 10.5 and 7.6 respectively. The ratio of female to male was 1.2 /1.0. Major mode of poisoning was accidental (68.5 %), and most of the victims were younger than 5 years of age (65 %). Suicidal attempts were encountered mostly in 17 to 40 years of age group (71 %). While females were dominant in suicidal attempts, accidental exposures affected both sexes equally. The majority of the callers were physicians (65.9 %), and the locations of them were mostly state hospitals including former social security hospitals (39.9 %). Whereas almost 30 % of calls were received from Ankara, Istanbul was the second city with lower percentage (16.2 %). In this period only one mortality was recorded, in fact the case was exitus, when Hacettepe Drug and Poison Informattion Unit was called.