STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CASES OF POISONING DETECTED IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM OF THE “SAN GIOVANNI DI DIO” HOSPITAL FROM 2012 TO 2016 AND IN THE TOXICOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OF THE “BUCCHERI LA FERLA” HOSPITAL IN PALERMO

Abstract

Many clinical cases of intentional or unintentional poisoning have been analysed for every kind of xenobiotics in the period 2012-2016 observed at the “San Giovanni di Dio” Hospital in Agrigento, The same kind of study was carried out on some cases of the period 2000-2010 and 2010-2016 at the “Bucchieri La Ferla” Hospital in Palermo. At the “San Giovanni di Dio” Hospital in Agrigento individual and anonymous data from a sample of 264 individuals has been collected and they present a set of symptoms that are, in whole or in part, caused by the poisoning. Simultaneously, the survey carried out on the hospital in Palermo, which involved 96 individuals, gave particular attention to poisoning caused by food, pesticides, household products, cosmetic products, hygiene products, medicine, non-pharmaceutical chemical products, drugs and alcohol, along with animal and plant poisons, including mushrooms. The data has been compiled with respect to parameters such as: age, gender, aetiological agent responsible for the poisoning, route of exposure, major symptoms and medical implications. The rates have shown a decrease in the cases of alcohol toxicosis and of poisoning due to the use of antidepressant drugs and sedative hypnotics regarding the region of Agrigento, on the other hand, in the region of Palermo the rates have shown an increase of the cases of poisoning due to the use of antidepressant drugs and sedative hypnotics and an increase of the accidental poisoning derived from the use of cardio-vascular drugs. The overall cases of poisoning in Agrigento, from 2012 to today, are 264 with no mortality cases. However, from 1990 to today, in Palermo, the cases of poisoning are about 140 with a low mortality rate (about 7 cases out of the 140 taken into account).