Hong Kong Poison Information Centre: Annual Report 2007

Abstract

Objective To report the poisoning data of Hong Kong Poison Information Centre (HKPIC) in 2007. Methods From 1st January 2007 to 31st December 2007, all poisoning cases received by HKPIC were retrieved from its database (DATOX) for analysis. Results 2842 poisoned cases were analyzed. There were 1199 male and 1610 female patients and more than two-thirds of the cases were between 20 and 59 years old. Common causes of exposure were suicidal attempt, accident and abusive use. Non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic, household products and paracetamol were common poisons exposed. The majority of the patients were managed conservatively, with 8.4% and 6.4% treated by decontamination and antidotes respectively. Most cases had uneventful recovery; less than 1% of the poison exposure resulted in death and about 5% of the exposure had major outcomes. Conclusions This 2007 annual report provided updated epidemiological information on the poisoning pattern in Hong Kong and highlighted some changes in comparison to the situation in 2006.