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Published on: August 30, 2018
[Epidemiological analysis of drug self-poisonings treated by a mobile intensive care unit]
H Labourel1, M Ladwig, C Maurin
1Service d'Aide Médicale d'Urgence, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Grenoble.
Purpose:
Study the epidemiology, prehospital emergency care and short-term evolution of the drug self poisonings.
Methods:
Retrospective analysis from January 1999 to December 2000 of drug self poisonings requiring Grenoble (France) intensive care unit action and patient follow up.
Results:
325 patients, 39.3 years old +/- 14.5 have been treated. The drug self poisonings are representing 4.6% of Grenoble mobile intensive care unit activity. The sex-ratio was, for the 15 to 24 years old population, 2.3 females for 1 male. Mobile intensive care unit has been decided in first intention on 56.3%. 556 toxic substances have been reported, psychotropics are prevailing (79.4% of all drug self poisonings). Intubation has been necessary in 24%. 64.4% of the treated population has been hospitalized into intensive care units. The main exit step of the first admission unit was returning home. Death rate was 0.9%.
Conclusion:
Drug self poisoning is an important part of mobile intensive care unit activity. The very low death rate could be related to several criteria: a high efficient rescue unit setting up a symptomatic based medical treatment and the current decreased toxicity of the ingested drugs.
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