Analysis of 1,000 consecutive cases of acute poisoning in the suburb of Tokyo leading to hospitalization.

We have analyzed retrospectively 1,000 consecutive admissions due to acute poisonings over 13 years. Total mortality was 27%. Acute poisonings due to pesticides, therapeutic drugs and other substances were 518, 332 and 150 cases with mortalities of 51, 1 and 5%, respectively. The most frequent cause of acute poisoning was paraquat/diquat products, whose mortality reached 76% (220 deaths/291 cases). The second most frequent cause was organophosphate/carbamate products with a mortality of 24% (37/155). When these 2 pesticides are excluded, the mortality was only 3% (15/554). To reduce instances of paraquat/diquat poisoning, dilution of the available product or formulation in other than liquid form would be desirable, because no effective treatment is currently available. In cases of organophosphate/carbamate poisoning, early hospitalization and stabilization is crucial.