[Chemical poisoning in suicide attempts by the elderly]

The problem of suicidal attempts in which the chemical substances are used is very important for clinical toxicology. Suicide subjects make up 61 to 68% of all hospitalized patients with acute poisoning in Toxicological Centers in Poland. And mainly the young not the old are involved in these suicidal attempts. In the Toxicological Clinic in Kraków in period 1980-1986 138 patients (81 women and 57 men) above the age of 60 residing in Province of Kraków were hospitalized since while committing suicide by chemical substances, they got poisoned. Most of the patients (90%) were poisoned by a single drug or mixed ones; frequently by Reladorm (31.5%), by benzodiazepines alone (31%) and by barbiturates (21%), less frequently by chlorpromazine drugs, tricyclic antidepressants and cardiac drugs which were only concomitant toxins. The rest of the studied patients (10%) were poisoned with organic solvents (4 patients), hydrochloric acid (4 patients), organophosphate pesticides (3 patients). In single cases it was seed dressing T (thiuram), carbon monoxide or ethanol poisoning. The case of ethyl alcohol poisoning was discussed and the patient who ingested it commit suicide died. 14 patients died (10%) and the lowest mortality rate was in 61-70-year--old patients and it was evidently higher for the younger patients. The causes of the patients' death as well as psychological and psychiatric aspect of the suicides were discussed. Some conclusions concerning prophylaxis of suicidal poisonings in the elderly were drawn.