Pre-hospital treatment of acute poisonings in Oslo
Author Information
Author(s): Heyerdahl Fridtjof, Hovda Knut E, Bjornaas Mari A, Nore Anne K, Figueiredo Jose CP, Ekeberg Oivind, Jacobsen Dag
Primary Institution: Department of Acute Medicine, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Hypothesis
To describe the acutely poisoned patients treated by ambulance personnel and in an outpatient clinic; compare patients transferred to a higher treatment level with those discharged without transfer; and study the one-week mortality after pre-hospital discharge.
Conclusion
More than half of the poisoned patients treated in pre-hospital treatment settings were discharged without transfer to higher levels, and the pre-hospital treatment of these poisonings appears safe regarding short-term mortality.
Supporting Evidence
- A total of 3757 health service contacts from 2997 poisoning episodes were recorded.
- Patients discharged alive after ambulance treatment were mainly poisoned by opiates (70%).
- The majority of the patients discharged from the outpatient clinic were poisoned by ethanol (55%).
- There were no deaths during the first week after the poisonings in 90% of the pre-hospital discharged patients with known identity.
Takeaway
This study looked at people who got sick from poison and were treated by ambulances or clinics. Most of them went home without going to a hospital, and they were mostly men who had taken drugs or alcohol.
Methodology
A one-year multi-centre study with prospective inclusion of all acutely poisoned patients ≥ 16 years of age treated in ambulances, an outpatient clinic, and hospitals in Oslo.
Potential Biases
The clinical diagnosis of a particular toxic agent may be difficult and the precision of determining toxic agents may therefore be questioned.
Limitations
Patients suitable for inclusion might have been missed, and some transferred cases were not included in the study at the receiving institutions.
Participant Demographics
The population in Oslo in 2004 was 521,886, with 428,198 aged ≥ 16 years; male patients comprised 69% of pre-hospital discharges.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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