A prospective study of fatal outcomes of poisoning in Tehran

Data on 194 fatal poisoning cases admitted to various hospitals in Tehran over a 1-y period showed an overall male:female ratio of 1.9:1, with females predominating only in the 13-19 y age group. Fifty-five percent of the deaths were attributed to suicide, affecting more females than males. Most cases were referred to hospitals between 1 pm and 1 am. There was a slight seasonal variation, with the highest number of cases in July and March and the lowest in April. Drugs were the most frequently used poison (27%) followed closely by pesticides (24%). Benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants accounted for 38% of drug-related poisonings, with diazepam (61%), imipramine (44%) and amitriptyline (33%) the most commonly used agents in each group. Insecticides were responsible for 58% of pesticide-related deaths. Following pesticides, 13% of the deaths were due to chemicals, with depilator and solvent abuse accounting for 88% of the cases in this group.