Prescription and over-the-counter medication in deliberate self-poisoning and accidental overdosing--preliminary...

186 case records of patients who overdosed pharmaceuticals (confirmed by toxicological lab analysis) hospitalized at the Department of Clinical Toxicology during three months of 2000 were analyzed for age, sex, type of medication, reason for poisoning (intentional or accidental overdosing). Patients poisoned with prescription medication (Rx group) were compared with those who overdosed nonprescription (OTC-group) medications (alone or combined with Rx). Relative frequency of medication drug poisoning was highest in the 40-49 age group (28.5%) and was followed by the group of young adults (20-29 years; 24.2%). The lowest frequency (2.2%) was noted in the 60-69 age group. Of 186 cases analyzed, in 163 (87.6%) prescription medication (Rx) and in 23 (12.4%) OTC alone or co-ingested with Rx were involved (chi2 = 63.9; p < 0.001). The Rx and OTC groups were not significantly different as to reason for poisoning (chi2 = 0.7; p = 0.792) with significant overrepresentation of deliberate ingestion in both the group analysed (chi2 = 114.39; p < 0.001 for Rx, and chi2 = 13.49; p = 0.002 for OTC). Most adults attempting suicide used Rx with the highest incidence in the 40-49 age group (31.1%). Adolescents (14-19 years) with female over-representation ingested rather OTC pharmaceuticals (40.9%). Acetaminophen (alone or combined with benzodiazepines or/and ethanol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most common OTC medications used for deliberate self-poisoning.