Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 73, Issue 2 , Pages 78-87, February 2010

Features and Prognostic Factors for Elderly With Acute Poisoning in the Emergency Department

  • Yu-Hui Hu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Hsiu-Ling Chou

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University College of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Wen-Hua Lu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University College of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Hsien-Hao Huang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Cheng-Chang Yang

      Affiliations

    • Section of Toxicology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • David H.T. Yen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr David H.T. Yen, Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Wei-Fong Kao

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Jou-Fan Deng

      Affiliations

    • Section of Toxicology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Chun-I Huang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Received 24 June 2009; accepted 23 December 2009.

Article Outline

Background

Elderly persons with acute poisoning in the emergency department (ED) and prognostic factors of outcomes have not been well addressed in previous research. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of elderly patients with acute poisoning visiting the ED, and to identify the possible predictive factors of mortality.

Methods

Patients aged ≥ 65 years with acute poisoning who visited the ED in Taipei Veterans General Hospital from January 1, 2006 through to September 30, 2008 were enrolled in the study. We collected demographic information on underlying diseases, initial presentations, causes and toxic substances, complications, dispositions, and outcomes. Analyses were conducted among different groups categorized according to age, suicide attempt, and outcome. Multiple logistic regression was applied to identify possible predictive clinical factors influencing mortality in the elderly with acute poisoning.

Results

A total of 250 patients were enrolled in the study, with a mean age of 77 years and male predominance. The most common cause of intoxication was unintentional poisoning. Medication accounted for 57.6% of poisonous substances, of which benzodiazepine was the most common drug, followed by warfarin. The overall mortality rate was 9.6%. The average length of stay in the ED increased significantly in the old (65–74 years), very old (75–84 years) and extremely old (≥ 85 years) groups. Suicide attempt patients experienced more complications including respiratory failure, aspiration pneumonia, hypotension and mortality. Three clinical predictive factors of mortality were identified: herbicide poisoning, hypotension and respiratory failure upon presentation.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that elderly patients with acute poisoning had a mortality rate of 9.6%. Suicide attempts resulted in more serious complications. The risk factors for mortality were herbicide intoxication, hypotension and respiratory failure.

Key Words:  emergency department , geriatrics , poisoning

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PII: S1726-4901(10)70006-X

doi:10.1016/S1726-4901(10)70006-X

Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 73, Issue 2 , Pages 78-87, February 2010

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