Poisoning in General Practice

Abstract

The steady increase of accidental and suicidal poisoning has become an alarming problem in the last decade [1–3]. In 1964 there were 2100 deaths recorded in the United States due to accidental ingestion of solid o r liquid substances and another 1360 deaths due to accidental inhalation of gases or vapors. In highly developed, industrialized countries, there has been a pronounced increase (up to 90% of all poisonings [2]) of childhood poisoning due to drugs, household cleansers, and other toxic products. Chemical poisonings were the third leading cause of death in children under 6 years of age in New York City in 1953 [4]. Adults and parents are often not aware of the danger of leaving drugs and toxic household products unlocked. Brightly colored and sugar-coated tablets are a particular source of temptation for small children. A broad educational program is necessary and now under way in most countries to reduce this alarming number of accidental pisonings in children.

In adults, poisonings due to accidental or occupational causes are de-creasing [1], whereas suicide attempts by the ingestion of barbiturates and sedatives a r e constantly increasing in most “overdeveloped” countries. Fortunately, the percentage of fatalities in suicide attempts has decreased as the sedatives supplant the old, cruel poisons such as heavy metals and caustics. With modern treatment of barbiturate poisoning, for example, the mortality rate has been reduced to only 2–3% [5] and in some poison centers even to 0.8% [6].