Statistical report from Uludag Poison Information Center--34-month experience

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Effective management of poisoned patients relies on accurate intoxication data.
• Poison information centers are crucial for providing timely expert advice.
• The Uludağ Poison Information Center (UPIC) was established to offer 24/7 support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To statistically analyze poisoning cases managed by UPIC.
• To identify demographic and etiological characteristics of intoxication.
• To understand the patterns of calls received by a poison control center.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 2270 phone calls received between January 1996 and October 1998.
• Data evaluation based on age, gender, time to exposure, source, reason, and caller type.
• Statistical assessment of poisoning case features.

Main Results:

• Intoxication most frequently occurred in individuals aged 14-25 (42.46%) and females (60.22%).
• Drugs were the primary source of poisoning (61.67%), with suicide attempts being the main reason (40.9%).
• Healthcare professionals accounted for the majority of calls (59.33%).

Conclusions:

• Poisoning significantly impacts young adults, particularly females, often linked to drug-related incidents and suicide attempts.
• Poison control centers play a vital role, with a high proportion of calls originating from medical professionals seeking guidance.
• Understanding these trends is essential for targeted prevention and intervention strategies.