Long-term mortality in patients hospitalized due to acute drug poisoning: 14-years follow-up study with controls

摘要

Objective: Patients who experience deliberate self-harm (DSH) generally have poor long-term outcomes. the aim of the study was evaluate long-term mortality of patients hospitalized due to acute self poisoning and causes of deaths. Methods: Patients admitted to Oulu University Hospital due to acute drug poisoning between 1985 and 2000 were followed until the end of 2009 using Finnish mortality registries. Mortality and causes of deaths were compared to sex and year of birth matched controls. Results: A total of 3,709 patients were included in the analysis, and 1,134 of them (30.6 %) had died by the end of 2009, while the mortality of the control population was 13.6 % (P < 0.0001). The median age at death was 54 (25th-75th pct 43-74) in contrast to 73 (25th-75th pct 57-82) among controls. The most common cause of death in the study population was cardiovascular disease, followed by poisoning and trauma and these were significantly more common in the study population. 364 (10.8 %) patients from the study population committed suicide; the total number of suicides in the control population was 170 (0.9 %, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that patients admitted to the hospital due to acute self-poisoning have poor long-term outcomes.