Trends of acute poisoning cases occurring at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

A retrospective study of poisoned patients admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) over the period January 2002 to June 2003 was carried out. KNH is a national referral and university teaching hospital and patients are admitted from all parts of Kenya. The results of the study are therefore expected to mirror closely the situation in the rest of the country. Data analysis showed that 58.9% of poisoned patients were males. Pesticides and household/industrial chemicals, the two most important poisoning agents, accounted for 43% and 24% of poisoning, respectively. Organophosphates and rodenticides were the two most common pesticides accounting for 57.4% and 31% of poisoning, respectively. Kerosene accounted for 66% of poisoning with household agents. Self-poisoning was prevalent in the age bracket 21-30 years (70.7%)while accidental poisoning, mostly with kerosene,was prevalent in the age group 0-5 years (83.9%). The overall mortality rate from poisoning was 7.0%.