[Study of voluntary drug intoxication in an emergency unit]

Voluntary drug intoxications are not systematically recorded. Main aspects of this important problem have been studied in the unit responsible for medico-psychological emergencies in the university hospital of Poitiers. Files of all patients admitted to the unit from January to December 1994 have been analysed and 598 patients were included in our study. Of these, 67 per cent were females. 31 per cent were 20 to 29 years old and for the most part unemployed (62.5 per cent). Drugs most commonly used are benzodiazepines (39 per cent), alone or often associated with alcohol (33 per cent). A fatal outcome was observed in one patient. In many cases (50 per cent) this was not the first episode of voluntary intoxication; 53 per cent of the patients were discharged from hospital after a psychiatric consultation. For many years, voluntary drug intoxication frequency has increased continually. All cases have a specific intention that we have to clarify in order to take effective preventive measures to prevent recidivism.