[Criminal poisoning in Morocco: data from the Morocco Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Centre (1980-2014)]

intentional poisoning is a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiological features of criminal intoxication in Morocco.

we conducted a retrospective study of all cases of criminal intoxication identified by the Morocco Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Centre (MPCPC) between 1980 and 2014.

during the study period, 611 cases of criminal poisoning were recorded, reflecting a rate of 2.1% of all intentional poisoning reported during the same period. The average age of intoxicated patients was 26.4±14.3 years. More than a quarter of the subjects were children under the age of 15 (28.6%). According to the study results, 55.9% were male, with a sex-ratio (M/F) of 1.3. The majority of cases (89.4%) occurred in urban areas. Collective intoxications were reported in 24.4% of cases. The most frequently used products were pesticides (19.1%) and plants (19%). Patients developed different symptoms based on the toxic substances used, the amount ingested and the time elapsed before treatment. A range of digestive, neurological, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders were reported. Out of 440 patients with outcome data available, 27 died. The remainder of patients survived with or without sequelae.

criminal poisoning is a major issue. The number of cases is probably underestimated due to a large number of undiagnosed or unreported cases.