Toxicologic suicidal attempts in tanta university poison control center during the period of 2009 to 2011

ABSTRACT

Suicide is a complex phenomenon that involves every corner of the world. Suicide rates differ between countries and within regions of the same country depending on cultural and psycho-social factors. Poisonings and/or drug overdose are fairly common encountered methods for committing suicide. The present study aimed to highlight causes and circumstances of poisons and drugs suicidal attempts to increase toxicologic awareness and help to decrease number of cases. It was based on patients presentation to Tanta University poison control center from January 2009 to December 2011. Suicide attempters were classified according to age into group A [less than 15 years], group B [16-30 years], group C [315 years] and group D [over 45 years]. They were also grouped according to gender, residence, employment state, number of subjects every year, substances used for suicide, associated psychological diseases and drug abuse. Results of this study revealed a total number of 1780 suicide attempters in the three studied years. Of them 444 [24.9%] were males and 1336 [75.1%] were females, 1395 [78.3%] belongs to age group B, 1314 [73.8%] were single patients and 1420 [79.8%] were non employed. Pesticides, CNS acting drugs and analgesics were most commonly used by suicide attempters. Significant association could be detected between the attempters residence and substances used, where rural suicide attempters showed higher rates of pesticides and urban suicide attempters showed higher rates of CNS acting drugs. Significant association could be noticed between age and gender, a peak is registered in the age group B and between females. Furthermore, significant suicidal association between marital state and gender in suicide attempters could be noticed. This study concluded high rate of suicide attempts between females, 16-30 years old, single, unemployed, the most commonly used substances included pesticides, CNS acting drugs and analgesics. Prevention strategies should be directed toward limiting access to the implicated substances