• Fridtjof Heyerdahl, Mari A Bjornas, Knut Erik Hovda, Karina Skog, Anders Opdahl, Cecilie Wium, Oivind Ekeberg, and Dag Jacobsen.
• Department of Acute Medicine, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. fridtjof.heyerdahl@medisin.uio.no
• Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2008 Jan 1;46(1):42-9.

ObjectivesThe changing pattern of acute poisoning may affect complications and outcome in these patients. An update study on acute poisonings was therefore performed and compared to similar data from 1980.DesignA prospective cross-sectional multi-center study of all adult patients (> or = 16 years) hospitalized in Oslo with a main diagnosis of acute poisoning, irrespective of intention, over a one-year period.ResultsOf 947 admissions, 222 (23%) were comatose. Complications were observed in 173 (18%), slightly reduced from 1980 (22%). Ten (1.1%) died and six (0.6%) got permanent sequelae, of which seven and five were drug- or alcohol-related, respectively. Seventy-five percent received treatment besides observation; 39% received antidotes, increased from 21% in 1980, most frequently flumazenil (23%) and naloxone (14%).ConclusionsIn-hospital mortality in poisoned patients remained low, few patients entailed complications, and most patients survived without permanent sequelae. Drug- and alcohol-abuse related poisonings were most severe.

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