Objective:
The aim of this study is the retrograde analysis of the patients managed in Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, intensive care unit (ICU) for intoxication between 2003 – 2007 and to gather data for epidemiologic studies.
Materials and Methods:
Recording of patients followed up for intoxication was investigated for demographic specialty, intoxication reason, commensurability psychiatric illness, hospital stay and mechanic ventilation.
Results:
In this period 165 (12.6%) of the 1273 patients were managed in intensive care unit, followed up for intoxication. 111 (67.3%) of the patients were female, 54 (32.7%) were male with the mean age of 27.9. The most common intoxication reasons were suicide by overdosing [134 patients (81.2%)], accidental intoxication [13 patients (7.9%)] and drug addiction [12 patients (7.3%)]. 83 (53.3%) of the patients have a psychiatric illness known before. The most common drugs taken for suicide were antidepressants (70.9%), and the most common one in this group was amitriptylin (38.8%). CO intoxication results in the longest entubation term with an average of 8.50 days and the longest hospital stay with an average of 9.83 days. 159 of the patients (96.4%) were discharged, 6 patients were lost in the ICU (3.6%).
Conclusion:
The great majority of the patients were young female patients who took drugs for suicide. Patients frequently use antidepressants to suicide and amitriptylin as a cheap and easily reachable substance is the most common one in this group.
Keywords: Intensive care, intoxication, antidepresants, amitriptylin