An Epidemiological Profile of Poisoning: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Poisoning is acknowledged as a significant contributing factor to deaths in most of the low-income and middle income countries. Even though poisoning is regarded as a global burden, different parts of the world may experience different types of poisoning. For the purpose of creating and implementing appropriate policies to address this acknowledged public health issue, it is imperative to understand the epidemiology of poisoning cases in a given area. Material & Method: The present study was a retrospective  study of poisoning deaths that were brought for medico-legal autopsy at a tertiary care facility in southern Haryana between January 2018 and December 2023. A total of 264 medico-legal autopsies for poisoning deaths were performed during the study period. Relevant information and subjective data like age, gender, marital status and occupation have been collected from medico-legal autopsy register from January 2018 to December 2013. Results: It was observed that out of 264 cases female outnumbered male in ratio 1.3:1. Majority of the victims belonged to the second and third decade of life. Married couples were more vulnerable and the majority of the victims (64.77%) had accidentally consumed poison. Conclusion: The epidemiology of poisoning is highlighted in the study, which shows that poisoning fatalities accounted for almost 30% of total autopsies. Since the region is heavily dependent on agriculture, to control deaths caused by poisoning awareness programs should be implemented vigorously to educate and nurture the character of young people.