Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2026
14:20
High Throughput SiRNA Screening for Chloropicrin and Hydrogen Fluoride-Induced Cornea Epithelial Cell Injury
Published on: June 16, 2018
Toxic oil syndrome mortality: the first 13 years
I Abaitua Borda1, R M Philen, M Posada de la Paz
1Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación sobre el Síndrome del Aceite Tóxico, Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid, Spain.
International Journal of Epidemiology
|February 19, 1999
Summary
Toxic Oil Syndrome (TOS) survivors experienced an 8.4% mortality rate by 1994. While overall mortality was not elevated, young women (<40) faced significantly higher death risks, particularly in the early epidemic years.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- The 1981 Toxic Oil Syndrome (TOS) epidemic in Spain affected approximately 20,000 individuals.
- This report details the overall and cause-specific mortality within the TOS cohort through 1994.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the long-term mortality outcomes for the Spanish Toxic Oil Syndrome cohort.
- To identify specific demographic groups at increased risk of death following TOS.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 19,754 TOS patients was followed from May 1, 1981, to December 31, 1994.
- Death ascertainment was conducted via mail and telephone, with causes of death coded using ICD-9.
Main Results:
- A total of 1,663 deaths (8.4% crude mortality) were identified in the TOS cohort.
- Mortality was highest in 1981 (SMR 4.92). Women aged 20-39 experienced the highest SMR (20.41) in the early post-epidemic period.
- Leading causes of death included TOS, circulatory disorders, and malignancies. Overall mortality was lower than expected compared to the general Spanish population, except for external causes and pulmonary hypertension.
Conclusions:
- Toxic Oil Syndrome survivors, on average, did not exhibit increased mortality risk over the 13-year follow-up.
- Women under 40 affected by TOS represented a high-risk group for mortality during the study period.
