Epidemiology and medical aid at acute poisoning in Russia

The present study is based on the selected data obtained from medical reports by some Russian poisoning treatment centers, recent publications, statistical materials, and the review of the existing system of medical aid at acute poisoning. The number of acute poisoning cases in Moscow and large Russian cities has increased almost twofold in the last fifteen years. The main groups of toxic agents causing poisoning are pharmaceuticals (up to 63.1%), alcohol and surrogates (up to 49.3%), corrosives (up to 21.8%), although the figures vary in various Russian regions. Acute poisoning mortality in Russia tends to increase with about 56,000 in the recent years. The main causes of poisoning were alcohol (62.2%), carbon monoxide (15.4%), acetic acid (6.3%), pharmaceuticals (4%) (data by the Moscow Forensic Bureau). Specialized medical aid is represented by poisoning treatment centers organized in 37 cities, 1 toxicology information and advisory center of federal level. Physicians can advance their skills at post-diploma courses organized at 4 chairs of clinical toxicology. Scientific research in the field is carried out by Moscow city poisoning treatment center, the abovementioned chairs and other interested institutions. To obtain the maximum complete data on the number, pattern and causes of acute poisoning a unified system for toxicological monitoring was introduced in Russia in 2000.