Table 3.
Offending agents, routes of exposure and season of poisoning.
| Variable | Frequency (n = 385) |
|---|---|
| Offending agents | |
| Snake poison | 127 (33%) |
| Organophosphates a | 85 (22.1%) |
| Kerosene/paraffin | 29 (7.5%) |
| OTC b and prescription drugs c | 19 (4.9%) |
| Amitraz | 18 (4.7%) |
| Food | 16 (4.2%) |
| Ethanol | 15 (3.9%) |
| Corrosive chemicals | 15 (3.9%) |
| Herbal medicine | 9 (2.3%) |
| Rodenticides | 8 (2.1%) |
| Insect repellant | 8 (2.1%) |
| Others d | 19 (4.9%) |
| Route of exposure | |
| Oral/ingestion | 239 (62.1%) |
| Inoculation | 131 (34.0%) |
| Mucocutaneous | 9 (2.3%) |
| Inhalation | 5 (1.3%) |
| Unknown | 1 (0.3%) |
| Season of poisoning | |
| Long rainy season | 172 (44.7%) |
| Short rainy season | 74 (19.2%) |
| Cool dry season | 78 (20.3%) |
| Hot dry season | 61 (15.8%) |
a Includes diazinon, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Zylon’, unidentified acaricides, unidentified tick poison, and unidentified bed-bug poison. b Over the counter (OTC) medication; includes paracetamol, unidentified cough tablets, aspirin, and loperamide. c Prescription drugs; includes carbamazepine, indomethacin, antiretrovirals (zidovudine/lamivudine, nevirapine; AZT/3TC/NVP, tenofovir/lamivudine/efavirenz; TDF/3TC/EFV), and co-trimoxazole tablets (CTX). Also includes metronidazole and ciprofloxacin tablets, unidentified antihypertensives, and unidentified proton pump inhibitors. d Includes poisonous berries, petroleum distillates (turpentine and diesel), and household products. Also includes carbon monoxide, poisonous cassava, and mushrooms, potassium permanganate, street glue, thymol, and deltamethrin.