Incidence of poisoning deaths in and around Belgaum, Karnataka: A retrospective autopsy survey.

A five-year retrospective study was undertaken to ascertain the incidence of poisoning deaths in and around Belgaum district of Karnataka state, which were autopsied at KLE's Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Research Centre, Belgaum, a referral hospital catering to the needs of the general public within a radius of 100 km. Out of 600 autopsies conducted, 150 were deaths due to poisoning. The commonest age group of affected victims was 21 to 30 years. Males outnumbered females in a ratio of 2.2:1. The most commonly used poison was an organophosphorus compound. Most victims died within 1 to 6 hours of admission to the hospital. Most of the cases were suicidal in nature.