Table 3.
Spectrum of acute poisoning and associated case fatality (n=402)
| Compounds | Frequency, n (%) | Case fatalitya, n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Pesticides | 264 (65.7) | 29 (13.3) |
| Insecticides | 146 (36.3) | 13 (8.8) |
| Cholinesterase inhibitors | 91 (22.6) | 8 (10.0) |
| Organophosphateb | 39 | 3 (8.6) |
| Carbamate | 1 | 0 |
| Unidentified | 51 | 5 (12.8) |
| Insect repellants | 17 (4.2) | 0 |
| Amitraz | 16 | 0 |
| DEET | 1 | 0 |
| Pyrethroids | 4 (1.0) | 0 |
| Cypermethrin | 2 | 0 |
| Deltamethrin | 2 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous | 4 (1.0) | 1 (25.0) |
| Neonicotinoid (Imidacloprid) | 2 | 0 |
| Boric acid | 1 | 1 (100) |
| Organochlorine | 1 | 0 |
| Unidentified | 30 (7.5) | 4 (26.1) |
| Fumigants | 76 (18.9) | 8 (12.9) |
| Aluminum phosphide | 76 | 8 (12.9) |
| Herbicides | 22 (5.5) | 6 (37.5) |
| Paraquat | 19 | 6 (42.9) |
| 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid | 1 | 0 |
| Butachlor | 1 | 0 |
| Unidentified | 1 | 0 |
| Rodenticides | 20 (5.0) | 2 (13.3) |
| Coumarin-derived substances | 12 | 1 (8.3) |
| Zinc phosphide | 6 | 1 (16.7) |
| Yellow phosphorus | 2 | 0 |
| Drug overdose | 77 (19.2) | 13 (20.6) |
| Benzodiazepine | 33 | 6 (20.7) |
| Opioid | 25 | 4 (21.1) |
| Tricyclic antidepressant | 8 | 1 (12.5) |
| Methotrexate | 5 | 1 (20.0) |
| Antiepileptic drug | 2 | 1 (50.0) |
| Cannabis | 2 | 0 |
| Cough syrup | 1 | 0 |
| Unidentified | 1 | 0 |
| Corrosive ingestion | 31 (7.7) | 5 (18.5) |
| Acidsc | 24 | 4 (19.0) |
| Phenyle (phenol) | 7 | 1 (16.7) |
| Miscellaneousd | 11 (2.7) | 1 (11.1) |
| Unknown | 19 (4.7) | 10 (76.9) |
| Total | 402 | 58 (17.3) |
aCase fatality (%) was calculated after excluding the cases who left against medical advice, bOrganophosphates include dichlorvos (n=22), monocrotofos (n=5), profenofos (n=4), chlorpyrifos (n=4), phorate (n=2), triazophos (n=1), and dimethoate (n=1), cAcids include household cleaning products containing inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid (e.g., Harpic™) or sulfuric acid, dMiscellaneous compounds include petroleum products (n=3), naphthalene ball (n=2), mushroom poisoning (n=1), mercury tablet (n=1), button battery (n=1), glass powder (n=1), copper sulfate (n=1), and carbon monoxide (n=1). DEET: Diethyltoluamide