Psychiatric and social aspects of poisoning

62 admissions of drug overdose were randomly referred by the Department of Medicine for psychiatric assessment. The majority were young unmarried females attempting suicide as a reaction to social and personal stress. Psychiatric and mental disorders were diagnosed in only 13 cases of which depression was the commonest. Sedatives and Tranquilisers were the drugs most commonly used. This study emphasises the importance of psychiatric assessment in patients with self poisoning to detect those who require psychiatric and social care and calls for actions to minimize drug abuse

Pattern of acute poisoning: a 12 month hospital study

This study was conducted to determine the pattern of acute poisoning in an Iraqi general hospital. Out of a total 8359 medical admissions in one year, 314 patients [3.75%] were admitted on acount of acute poisoning. Self poisoning with drugs was responsible for about 85% of patients compared with about 14% for accidental and about 1% for homicidal poisoning. Benzodiazepine sedatives and hypnotics were found to occupy the leading place among drugs used for self poisoning followed by the analgesic antipyretic group of drugs in the second place. Most patients with self poisoning were young females in the second or third decades of life and some had a previous history of psychiatric illnesses [6%], or previous suicidal attempts [9%]. This study calls for action to introduce appropriate control measures to minimise the possibilities of drug abuse and prevent further increase in the problem of acute poisoning