Cases of acute poisoning hospitalized in the Veneto region. Preliminary results in 1721 cases.

An epidemiological study has been made of acute poisoning cases hospitalised in the Veneto region in 1978 and 1979 and the present paper reports an initial sizeable group of 1721 cases. Young people are most affected (60% of cases below the age of 30), particularly in the first decade of life. The male sex is mainly involved in poisoning due to voluntary substances (alcohol, heroin) while females are most affected by psychoactive drugs. The commonest toxic substances are: psychoactive drugs (26%), alcohol (20%), domestic products (19%), heroin (10%), non-narcotic analgesics (4%), agricultural products (3%) and cardiovascular drugs (2%). In 3% of cases it proved impossible to identify the compound in question and in 13% of poisonings different drugs and substances were involved. The average duration of admission was 41/2 days and support treatment was carried out regularly. Mortality was 0.4% (7 cases), 4 of them due to poisoning by domestic products.