Retrospective Evaluation of Four-Year Acute Intoxication Cases Followed-up in Intensive Care Unit

Objective: Acute intoxication is a life-threatining clinical issue. Therefore, patients need follow-up in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the incidence, demographic characteristics, intoxication agents and mortality rate in patients diagnosed with acute intoxication in our ICU. Materials and Methods: The records of the patients who were diagnosed with acute intoxication between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2018 were retrospectively analyzed and were included in this study. Result: Of the 300 patients included in the study, 68.7% n=206 were female, 31.3% n=94 were male and the mean age was 28.36±12.3 years. According to age groups, most patients in 21-30 years group with 37.3% n=112 rate and the least in ≥61 years group with 3.7% n=11 rate. It was detected that 94.3% n=283 of cases took drugs and/or chemical matter for suicide attempt, 5.7% n=17 of cases influenced by exposure or accidentally. Patients accepted to ICU owing to medicine intoxication (88%), chemical matter intoxication (%6.3), mushroom intoxication (4%), drug abuse (1.4%) and snakebite (0.3%). According to medicine groups; patients took most common antidepressants (n=55), subsequent to nonsteroid antiinflamatory drugs (n=38) , analgesics (n=37), influenza medicine (n=34) and intoxication occured most frequently in summer (29.7%). Tricyclic antidepressants were the most common intoxication-affecting agent in the antidepressant group, paracetamol in the analgesic group, carbamazepine in the antiepileptic group, ibuprofen+chlorpheniramine combination in the anti-depressant drugs, quetiapine in the antipsychotics, metformin in the oral antidiabetic group, pantoprozol in the proton pump inhibitor group. Duration of hospitalization in ICU of cases was 1.39±1.57 days and mortality rate was 0.67%. Conclusion: Acute intoxication cases may be severe and should therefore be followed in ICU. In this group of patients, drug and/or chemical causing intoxication should be detected as soon as possible, and physicians should be careful about possible side effects and treatment should be started immediately