A one-year observational study of all hospitalized acute poisonings in Oslo: complications, treatment and sequelae

Table 5 Complications and toxic agents in 1065 cases of acute poisoning in Oslo during one year 2008–2009

	Opioids	TCA	Cardiovascular drugs	Amphet-amine	Cocaine	GHB	Neuro-leptics	Other anti-depressants	BZD	Ethanol	BZD-like substances	CO/fire smoke	Paracet-amol¹	Others	Total	% of total
n poisonings	114	13	18	25	13	85	60	46	160	194	58	48	116	115	1065
n with complications	64	7	9	12	6	35	17	13	41	48	14	8	16	32	322
% with complications	56²	54	50	48	46	41	28	28	26	25	24	17	14	28	30
Mean n of complications per admission	1.1	1.3	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.5
% observed in ICU	58	85	17	36	54	59	66	54	48	44	56	35	41	43	49
Respiratory depression	41	3	2	4	4	16	3	2	20	13	9	5	2	5	129	12
Prolonged QTc	9	3		1		7	8	5	8	10	2		2	9	64	6
Hypotension	9	1	2	2		4	3		5	12	4		3	5	50	5
Pneumonia	12	1	1	1	1	2	3	2	4	5	4	2	1	4	43	4
Convulsions	7	2	1	3	1	3	5	5	1	4			1	3	36	3
Arrhythmia	6	2	6	1		9			1	2		1	3	4	35	3
Hypothermia	6	1		2		6	1		5	10			2	1	34	3
Rhabdomyolysis	8				1		1	1	3	2			1	1	18	2
Acute renal failure	6	1	2	2	1				1	1			2	1	17	2
Cardiac arrest ROSC	6				1				2					1³	10⁴	1
Allergic reaction	1					1			1	2			6⁵		11	1
Prolonged QRS	1	3					1		2					2	9	1
Cerebral damage	3				1	1						1	1	1⁶	8⁷	1
Hypoglycemia	2								3					2	7	1
Others	7		2	3		1	4	2	4		3	2	4	5	37	3

BZD benzodiazepines, GHB gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, ICU intensive care unit, ROSC return of spontaneous circulation, TCA tricyclic antidepressants.
¹ Including a paracetamol–codeine combination drug.
² 77% among methadone.
³ After inhalation of propane and Freon gas in a car.
⁴ Of which four died and three developed permanent cerebral sequelae.
⁵ Allergic reaction to intravenous N-acetylcysteine administration.
⁶ Suicide attempt with insulin.
⁷ Of which two patients died and three developed permanent sequelae.