Evaluation of Drug Overdose Poisoning Cases and Indications for ICU Admission

Drug Toxicity

1. Evaluation of drug overdose cases presented to Assiut university hospitals' adults and pediatric emergency departments (EDs) in one year period. 2. Evaluation the role of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in these cases and possible scoring system for common groups of drug overdose.

Poisoning is a medical emergency representing a health problem all over the world with an incidence rate that is variable from one place to another. The nature of poison used varies in different parts of the world and may vary even in different parts of the same country. The pattern of poisoning within a country depends on several factors such as the accessibility of various poisons, socio-economic status of the population, religious and cultural influences and drug prescription manners. Drug overdose continues to be the most common cause of acute poisoning all over the world. An estimated 2 to 5 million poisonings and drug overdoses occur annually in the United States of America. Overdose is the most common manifestation of deliberate self-harm behavior, and is a common cause of presentation to hospital Emergency Departments (EDs). It starts to get global attention due to its higher rate of morbidity and mortality in spite of being a preventable cause of death. Acute drug overdosing is an important cause of organ dysfunction and metabolic derangements and the patients often require intensive care admission. Among patients admitted to hospital following drug overdoses, approximately 13-22% will require Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Overdoses have been reported to account for 3.8-13.8% of all ICU admissions with 79.5-84% requiring mechanical ventilation in Australia. The treatment and complications of patients with acute drug intoxication in ICU vary according the nature of the substance ingested, individual amount of drug, and the concomitant use of other substances. The interventions requiring critical care in acute drug-poisoned patients include the need for airways protection and mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic stabilization and needs for vasopressors, and specific procedures that would enhance the clearance of the toxins involved.

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