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Organophosphate poisoning at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital 2012 - 2015

J Bruins1, C N Menezes2, M L Wong3

  • 1Division of General Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

African Journal of Thoracic and Critical Care Medicine
|July 21, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Organophosphate poisoning is common, with pinpoint pupils and low enzyme levels observed in patients. This study highlights the need for further research into its impact on healthcare resources.

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Clinical Biochemistry

Background:

  • Acute organophosphate poisoning admissions are frequent at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH).
  • Limited literature exists on the characteristics of these patient admissions.
  • This study addresses the gap in understanding organophosphate poisoning cases at CHBAH.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the demographic profile of adult patients admitted with organophosphate poisoning.
  • To identify common clinical and biochemical findings in these patients.
  • To evaluate the utilization of prognostic tools like APACHE II, management strategies, and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 129 patient records from 2012-2015 at CHBAH.
  • Data collection included demographics, clinical presentations, biochemical markers, and outcomes.
  • Evaluation of APACHE II score utility and assessment of acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibition levels.

Main Results:

  • Median age was 30 years, with 68.2% males; pinpoint pupils (96.1%) and low Glasgow Coma Score (85.3%) were prevalent.
  • Most patients required ventilator support (99.2%), with a 5.4% overall mortality rate.
  • Intravenous atropine was the standard treatment; APACHE II score was underutilized.

Conclusions:

  • Organophosphate compound use is frequent in the studied region.
  • Findings emphasize the significant burden of organophosphate poisoning on healthcare resources.
  • Further nationwide studies are recommended to understand the full scope of the problem.
Abstract

Keywords:
South Africaorganophosphatepoisoning

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