AVAILABILITY, USE AND COST OF ANTIDOTES I N CATALONIA, SPAIN

BACKGROUND: To know the availibility of antidotes in hospital and extr a-hospital emergency services in Catalonia (Spain), their real use, an d the cost. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Availibility was studied by means of a transversal questionnaire carried out in 24 hospitals and 3 extra-h ospital emergency services in Catalonia; the real use of antidotes was investigated using a prospective study carried out for one year in th e same 24 hospitals, and the cost was determined using the data obtain ed over 12 months in one large hospital. RESULTS: Average availibility was 35 antidotes in hospital and 13 in extra-hospital emergency servi ces. in no service did the availibility coincide exactly with that of another service, nor with the recommendations made by international in stitutions (World Health Organization and International Programme for Chemical Safety) or the Government of Catalonia. The law incidence of availibility of antidotes to cyanide was notable. Antidotes were used in 12.9% of acute intoxications. In 167 cases treated with these drugs , only 9 different antidotes were used. The consumption of these antid otes represents 0.1% of the budget of a pharmacy service in one large hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The availibility of antidotes in Catalonia is h eterogenerous and some services lack antidotes whose use is considered essential. Antidotes are scarcely used in acute intoxications and the ir economic cost is low.