Pesticide exposure and poisoning in Brazil: Outcome severity, clinical manifestations and management of cases reported to a poison control center

Abstract

This work aimed to identify variables associated with increased risk of outcome severity as well as to describe clinical manifestations/symptoms and management of pesticide-related cases reported to a poison center in Brazil. An increased risk of more severe outcomes was observed when exposures occurred in rural areas, involved suicide attempts and moderately to extremely hazardous pesticides. Clinical manifestations with higher frequencies included vomiting, nausea, sialorrhea, headache, miosis and sweating. From the treatment initially applied to the patient, 51.91% encompassed gastric lavage, but this procedure was only recommended in 20.01% of cases by the CIATox. Identifying risk factors associated with poor outcome, describing clinical manifestations, and contrasting initial treatment measures adopted against those recommended by the Poison Center can help determine diagnosis, prognosis and ensure appropriate clinical interventions are used in cases of pesticide poisoning.

Keywords:

• Antidotes
• gastric lavage
• pesticides
• poison control center
• suicide attempted

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. dos Santos JCP was a recipient of Fapes (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo) scholarship.