Presentations of patients of poisoning and predictors of poisoning-related fatality: Findings from a hospital-based prospective study

Table 3 Leading agents in the 63 poison-related fatalities involved in the study.

Exposed agents	Fatalities^†N = 63	Survivors N = 1449	Total N = 1512	OR (95% CI)	p value
Hypnotics and sedatives
Yes/No	3^‡/60	489/960	492/1020	0.10 (0.03 – 0.32)	< 0.01*
Tricyclic antidepressants
Yes/No	1/62	12/1437	13/1499	1.9 (0.3 – 15.1)	0.43
Digoxin
Yes/No	1/62	7/1442	8/1504	3.5 (0.4 – 28.6)	0.28
Morphine
Yes/No	1/62	9/1440	10/1502	2.6 (0.3 – 20.7)	0.38
Paraquat
Yes/No	31/32	12/1437	43/1469	116.0 (54.6 – 246.3)	< 0.01
Glyphosate
Yes/No	4/59	37/1412	41/1471	2.6 (0.9 – 7.5)	0.09
Organophosphates
Yes/No	7/56	68/1381	75/1437	2.5 (1.1 – 5.8)	0.02
Carbamates
Yes/No	4/59	23/1426	63/1449	4.2 (1.4 – 12.5)	0.01
Blasticidin-S (Fungicides)
Yes/No	2/61	1/1448	3/1509	47.5 (4.2 – 530.7)	< 0.01
Potassium cyanide (KCN)
Yes/No	2/61	1/1448	3/1509	47.5 (4.2 – 530.7)	< 0.01
Detergents
Yes/No	4/59	105/1344	109/1403	0.8 (0.3 – 2.3)	> 0.95
Rodenticides
Yes/No	1/62	17/1432	18/1494	1.4 (0.2 – 10.4)	0.54
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Yes/No	6/57	36/1413	42/1470	4.1 (1.7 – 10.2)	< 0.01

*Fisher's exact test was performed for analyses of all agents except for hypnotics and sedatives, for which the Pearson chi-square test was used.
^†There were four fatalities involving exposure to two agents: paraquat and carbamates; organophosphates and carbamates; detergents and rodenticides; hypnotic and sedative drugs and CO.
^‡One of three fatalities committed suicide by two methods – self-injuries (hanging and wrist-cutting) and ingestion of hypnotics and sedatives. This case died in the intensive care unit on the day of poisoning.

ISSN: 1471-2458