EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ADULT POISONING AT CHINA-MEDICAL-UNIVERSITY

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate characteristics of the adult poisoned patient population at a university hospital in the People's Republic of China, Methods: A prospective observational s tudy was conducted at the Department of Emergency Medicine, China Medi cal University and included all poisoning cases presenting to the Emer gency Department during a one year period, Data collection forms were designed and placed in the Emergency Department. Data were recorded by Emergency Department staff for all poisoned patients presenting durin g the study period (March 1, 1994 to February 28, 1995), Results: Six hundred ninety-eight poisoned patients were collected in this study. S edative/hypnotic agents (27.9%) were involved most commonly, The secon d most frequent toxicologic emergency was carbon monoxide (19%), Food poisoning was the third most common cause of poisoning (5.5%) and was equal to pesticide poisoning, The most common route of exposure was in gestion (71%). Twelve percent of the patients were admitted and 2.4% d ied. Conclusion: This first epidemiological report of adult poisoning from the People's Republic of China offers emergency physicians and to xicologists a preliminary understanding of the most common toxicologic problems seen in adults in a university hospital in China, and will a id in improving the delivery of emergency care to poisoned patients in the People's Republic of China.