Table 1.
Characteristics of patients with aluminium phosphide poisoning (N = 116)
| Variable | Mean ± SD | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survivors (n = 57) | Non-survivors (n = 59) | ||
| Sociodemographic characteristic | |||
| Age in years | 28 ± 9 | 30 ± 11 | 0.399 |
| Male gender, n (%) | 38 (67) | 33 (56) | 0.235 |
| Form of AlP ingested, n (%) | |||
| Powder | 40 (70) | 51 (86) | |
| Tablet | 11 (19) | 3 (5) | 0.051 |
| Unknown | 6 (11) | 5 (9) | |
| Vital signs at admission | |||
| Heart rate in bpm | 101 ± 14 | 109 ± 11 | 0.001 |
| SBP in mmHg | 106 ± 29 | 77 ± 20 | <0.001 |
| Glasgow coma score | 12.9 ± 0.1 | 2.3 ± 0.8 | <0.001 |
| Blood glucose measurements | |||
| Blood glucose level* in mg/dL | 119.9 ± 35.7 | 159.7 ± 92.5 | <0.001 |
| Frequency of blood glucose alterations,† n (%) | 3 (5) | 25 (42) | <0.001‡ |
| Biochemistry results | |||
| Serum sodium in mmol/L | 142.5 ± 7.0 | 144.6 ± 7.4 | 0.058 |
| Serum potassium in mmol/L | 4.0 ± 0.7 | 4.1 ± 1.1 | 0.216 |
| Serum creatinine in mg/dL | 0.8 ± 1.0 | 1.4 ± 1.2 | 0.003 |
| Serum bilirubin in mg/dL | 0.9 ± 0.6 | 0.8 ± 0.5 | 0.116 |
| TLC × 103 per mm3 | 8.6 ± 3.4 | 12.2 ± 5.1 | 0.005 |
| ABG measurements | |||
| pH | 7.3 ± 0.7 | 7.1 ± 1.3 | <0.001 |
| HCO3 | 16.3 ± 4.8 | 11.3 ± 5.6 | <0.001 |
| Presentation/hospital stay characteristics | |||
| Median interval between ingestion and presentation in hours (IQR) | 4 (3–6) | 4 (2–7) | 0.816§ |
| Median dextrose administered in g (IQR) | 62 (25–125) | 75 (43–106) | 0.856§ |
| Median LOS in hours (IQR) | 36 (24–66) | 5 (2–12) | <0.001§ |
SD = standard deviation; AlP = aluminium phosphide; bpm = beats per minute; SBP = systolic blood pressure; TLC = total leukocyte count; ABG = arterial blood gas; HCO3 = bicarbonate; IQR = interquartile range; LOS = length of stay.
*
Assessed via random blood glucose tests.
†
Defined as either hyperglycaemia (random blood glucose levels of >200 mg/dL) or hypoglycaemia (random blood glucose levels of <55 mg/dL).
‡
Using a Mann-Whitney U test.
§
Using a Chi-squared test.