Original Article

Evaluating Intoxicated Patients In Intensive Care Unit

10.5222/otd.2013.072

  • Ayşın Ersoy
  • Deniz Kara
  • Cihan Can Cangir
  • Elif Erdoğan
  • Ahmet Ali
  • Aslıhan Büyükyıldırım

Received Date: 15.12.2012 Accepted Date: 27.03.2013 Eur Arc Med Res 2013;29(2):72-75

Objective:

In our study, we evaluated demographic characteristics, cause and prognosis of intoxication of intoxicated patients in intensive care unit retrospectively.

Material and Methods:

81 intoxicated patients (22 male, 59 female) who were admitted to our intensive care unit between July 2008- February 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were evaluated for age, gender, drug or substance that causes intoxication, intensive care unit hospitalization days, the number of days of mechanical ventilation support, and mortality.

Results:

The distribution of causes of intoxication were antidepressant; 38 (46.9%), paracetamol; 3 (3.7%), NSAIDs; 7 (8.6%), colchicine; 2 (2.5%), antihypertensive; 4 (4.9%), polypharmacy; 3 (3.7%), benzodiazepine; 7 (8.7%), organophosphate; 6 (7.4%), beta blockers; 2 (2.5%), CO; 1 (1.2%), botilium toxin; 2 (2.5%), nitric acid; 1 (1.2%), rodentisid; 4 (4.9%), opioids; 1 (1.2%). 2 (2.5%) patients treated with hemodiafiltration, 77 (95.1%) patients were discharged from the intensive care unit, 4 (4.9%) patients died.

Conclusion:

In cases of intoxication: rapid detection of the agent of intoxication, making the corrective treatment without wasting time are very important in decreasing the mortality in intensive care unit.

Keywords: intensive care, intoxication, mortality