Acute Organophosphate Poisoning in Second March Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To study acute organophosphate (OP) insecticide poisoning. Design: A descriptive prospective observational study. Setting: The intensive care unit (ICU), 2nd March Teaching Hospital, Sebha, South Libya. Patients: Patients with acute poisoning admitted to the ICU from 1st January to 31st December 2006. Clinical data collected included demographic features, history of drug intake, symptoms, signs and laboratory results. Results: One hundred and thirty-six patients were admitted to the ICU with a mean age of 30.4 years. Ninety-two (67.6%) were female. Acute OP poisoning was the leading cause (54.4%), followed by bleach (11%) and scorpion sting (11%). Self-poisoning with OP, in 56 patients (75.7%) was the major factor. One patient (1.35%) died as a result of OP poisoning. Conclusion: Acute OP poisoning is a real medical and social problem that must concern every practicing doctor. In particular self-poisoning which has become a recognized pattern of social behaviour, is a crisis situation which must be treated as such with maximum effort from medical, psychiatric and social welfare services.