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Abstract
In the seven year period 1978 - 1984, 40,847 registered cases of poisonings were treated in hospital wards in Finland. 73.9% of the poisonings were due to drugs and 26.1% were due to technochemical products. The patients were primarily treated in internal medicine wards (65%) and in pediatric wards (16.3%). Seasonal variation was seen for agents such as oils, carbon monoxide, solvents, psychotropics, mushrooms and pesticides.
Poisonings due to psychotropic drugs occurred at a steady rate during the period. For example, in 1984 there were 21.3 admissions per 100,000 inhabitants per year. Neuroleptics were the most common psychotropic drugs. Antidepressants caused fewer poisonings than did sleeping pills, which increased steadily to 13.9/100,000 inhabitants. Poisonings due to cardiovascular drugs declined, paralleling a decrease in digoxin prescriptions. During the period studied there were 13 to 14 admissions/100,000 inhabitants/year due to alcohol. The rate of cases of corrosive and solvent intoxication was steady at about 3 admissions/100,000 inhabitants/year.
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