Pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic: acute poisoning among patients in an Emergency Department

ABSTRACT

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected daily life in unprecedented ways. Many studies have found dramatic changes in individuals' physical activity, sleep and mental health [1]. This study aimed to analyze retrospectively demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with acute poisoning presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) [2] in three different periods of time (June-July) pre-pandemic (2019), after strict confinement of the Spanish population (2020) and post-pandemic (2021) [3]. Methods: All cases of poisoning in the study periods were reviewed. Demographic variables and the type of intoxication were studied. A comparison was made between the three periods. Results: All cases of acute poisoning were included (n=1182, 528 in June-July 2019;299 in June-July 2020, 355 in June-July 2021). Patients with acute poisoning presenting to the ED decreased during the pandemic (2019 1.9%, 2020 1.5%;p<0.01). The ratio male/female increased during the pandemic (2 versus 1.4, p=0,02). The mean age of the patients increased during the pandemic (2019 31.4, 2020 41.3, p<0,001), this tendency was maintained in 2021 (38.3). Poisoning in suicide attempts increased during the pandemic (2019 8.71%, 2020 21%;p<0.01), as well as poisoning due to commercialized drugs (2019 14.20%;2020 28.76%, p<0.01), while recreational drug poisoning decreased (2019 76.1%, 2020 62%;p<0.01), in 2021 these increased again (69%, p 0.07). Conclusion: This study has found significant changes in some clinical patterns in patients attending the ED due to acute poisoning in the context of COVID-19, in line with the already described psychological impact of the pandemic.