FOOD POISONING ADMISSIONS IN REFERRAL HOSPITALS IN ZIMBABWE - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

1 A ten-year (1980-1989) retrospective study of poisoning admissions d ue to food poisoning at six referral hospitals in urban Zimbabwe revea led 487 cases. This constituted 8.1% of all poisoning admission cases (6018). 2 The majority of patients were among the 2.1-5 (20%), 5.1-10 (16%) and 21-30 (15%) year age groups in that descending order. 3 The agents implicated in food poisoning were mushrooms (47%), food-borne a nd other food-related toxins (37%), Elephants Ear (10%), alcohol (7%) and cassava (1%). 4 The majority of poisoning cases were accidental, a ccounting for 99% of the total. 5 The treatment regimens mostly used i ncluded agents for correcting fluid and electrolyte imbalance (22.1%), antibiotics (16.7%) and supportive measures (15.5%). 6 Mortality was recorded at 2.5% and the main agents associated with fatality were foo d-related toxins (5 cases), mushrooms (4 cases) and alcohol (4 cases). 7 The prevention and treatment of poisoning caused by food poisoning is mandatory in the effort to reduce poisoning caused by these agents,