Pattern of Self-poisoning

Abstract

The green revolution in India during 1960 not only modernized the whole agricultural system but with it also came the insecticide & pesticide which are injurious to human health. The objective of this study is to describe the pattern of poisoning in Visakhapatnam and its demographic correlates. This retrospective study was conducted in all poisoning cases admitted in Casualty department of Anil Neerukonda Hospital, Visakhapatnam and carried out during the period of 1^st Jan 2014 to 31^st Dec 2017. In our study it was observed that majority (47.37%) of the subjects were between the ages of 20-29 years with slight preponderance towards female (52.63%) as compared to male (47.37%). The majority of the cases (94.74%) belonged to the lower socioeconomic class. The most common location of occurrence was within the house (85.97%), and it was mostly observed during the winter season. The most commonly abused substance was aluminum phosphide (21.05%), followed by organophosphate compounds (14.04%). In conclusion it can be stated that the government should take legislative steps to curb down the menace of poison in the hands of the vulnerable people in the society primarily focusing on developing the poisons with less toxicity or non-toxic to humans.