Abstract

Knowledge of profile of poisoning of a particular area and of particular time period is very important as it will help the health providers and policy-makers to plan & equip accordingly. Demographic profile of the patients and type of poisons consumed depends upon the availability of substances locally, their socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The present study was conducted at Annapoorna Medical College and Hospital, Salem, Tamilnadu in the year 2019. Data regarding age, sex, religion, occupation, locality (urban/rural), marital status & type of poison was collected in Pre-structured Proforma from two 3 yrs periods, 2007–2009 and 2016–2018. The variables from the two periods were compared to find out whether there were any changes. In the present study, the sex ratio, F:M changed from 1:1.6 to 1:1, there was increase in number of female cases in the later phase. With respect to age, there was almost doubling in number of cases in the age group of 11–20 yrs, from 26 cases (17.3%) to 54 cases (31.8%). Poisoning due to insecticides had decreased significantly in the later phase, from 99 cases (66.7%) to 43 cases (25.3%), whereas, there was increase in poisoning due to herbicides from 9 cases (6%) to 37 cases (21.8%), poisoning due to rat killers increased from 17 cases (11.33%) to 42 cases (24%) and household poisons from 3 cases (2%) to 13 cases (7.6%).

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