ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The poisoning is a public health problem. This problem requires continuous evaluation to decrease it. Our objective was to identify causes of requirement for health care consults and factors associated to mortality due to poisoning. METHODS: We assessed the requirements for health care consults during one year and the outcomes of these consultations in a center of toxicology. Odds ratios (OR) were used as risk estimator. RESULTS: There were 3116 consultations due to poisons. From these 79% required hospitalization. The identified causes were: be bite and wound inflected by poisonous animals in 57 % (44 % of these were due to scorpions); medications in 15 %; agrochemicals in 5 % and in 4 % prohibit substances (marihuana or cocaine). A poisoning caused by suicidal attempt was observed in 28 %. Mortality rate was 3/1000, and the mortality rate for suicidal attempt was 0.7 % meaning an OR = 6 (95 % CI = 1.3 to 31) compared with the overall mortality rate. The most frequent cause of mortality was organophosphorates poisoning (OR = 30, 95 % CI = 2.86-759). CONCLUSIONS: The poisoning secondary to animals represented the most frequent cause for consultation. The suicidal attempt and organophosphorates intoxication were associated with higher mortality.
