Clinical Characteristics of Acute Drug Intoxication in Emergency Department

The number of acute drug intoxication who visiting to emergency department which is located near urban and rural area concomitantly is inclined to increase slightly, The purpose of this study was the investigation of methods and strategies of management of acute drug intoxication in emergency department Clinical trials were done on 92 cases of acute drug intoxication visiting to Emergency Department of Chungnam National University Hospital during 4 months from April to July 2003. 1. The total number of acute drug intoxication during this period was 92 patients, which presented 0.95％ of all the emergency department visiting patients during the study. The intentional ingestions were observed in 84 cases (91.3％). 2. The maximal point of age distribution was 4th decade. The number of that was 21 cases (22.8％). 3. The number of patients who had ingested benzodiazepines and doxylamine succinates was 26 cases (28.2％), organophosphorus was 20 (21.7％), paraquat was 10 (10.8％), others were 36 (39.3％). 4. Five kinds of po1ydrug ingestion was observed in 3 cases, four kinds was observed in 3, three kinds was observed in 5 and co-ingestion of alcohol was observed in 28 cases (30.4％). 5. The mortality was occurred in 4 cases, 2 of them were caused by paraquat, 1 of them was caused by organophosphorus (OP), 1 of them was caused by acetic acid. 6. The gastric larvage as a mean of treatment modality was done in 57 cases (61.9％). The use of activated charcoal was done in 8 (8.69％). The maintenance of tracheal intubation was done in 6 (6.52％). 7. The mean observational period in emergency department was 8 hours 42 minutes in benzodiazepine and doxylamine succinate group, 21 hours 46 minutes in OP, 20 hours 39 minutes in other germicidal except OP, 23 hours 9 minutes in paraquat group. Without a drug information and intoxication center in Korea, We should minimize the exhaustion of medical resources by establishment of determinant criteria which can be seen in relatively less-complicated cases of acute drug intoxication. Thus, we should consider the introduction of simple toxicology treatment protocol and toxicologic observation unit in emergency department as possible means to reduce economical and social burdens.