396663

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Pattern of Acute Intoxication by Substances of Abuse in Patients Admitted to Tanta University Poison Control Center.

Article

Last updated: 04 Jan 2025

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Abstract

Background: Substances use poisoning is considered a great social dilemma. The attention to this dilemma has increased in response to the stress and isolation occurred as consequences to COVID19 pandemic lockdown. Aim of the work: The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 on the pattern of acute intoxication by substances of abuse in Tanta University Poison Control Center (TUPCC), Egypt. Patients and Methods: Substance abusers' patients with acute intoxication who were admitted to Tanta University Poison Control Centre (TUPCC) in Egypt were the subjects of this cross-sectional comparative study. The study was carried out over two years. The first year was prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, which lasted from early March 2019 to late February 2020 (group 1). The second year was the year following Egypt's COVID-19 lockdown, which lasted from early March 2020 to late February 2021 (group 2). Results: The overall number of admitted patients decreased (from 112 to 72). There was significant increase in proportion of urban poisoned patient after the pandemic declaration (from 25% to 55.6%, P <0.001). Significant increase in time delay from (3.0±3.13) before the pandemic declaration to (9.1±16.25) (P<0.001) after the pandemic declaration. The need for ICU admission increased after the pandemic declaration from 7 cases to 14 cases (P=0.006). The mortality rate statistically increased after the declaration of pandemic from 5 patients to 11 patients (P=0.011). Sedative and hypnotics were the most prevalent poisons used by the patients in both years, with a statistical significant decrease after pandemic declaration (from 49.1% to 31.9%, P=0.021). Conclusion: Sedative and hypnotics were the most commonly used poison in the year after the pandemic was declared. This year also had high rates of ICU admissions and deaths, as well as significant delays in getting to the hospital.

DOI

10.21608/esctj.2024.336300.1075

Keywords

Substance abuse, pattern, COVID-19, Acute intoxication, lockdown

Authors

First Name

Basma

Last Name

Adel

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.

Email

basma.adel@med.tanta.edu.eg

City

Tanta

Orcid

0009-0000-1970-4954

First Name

Heba

Last Name

Khalifa

MiddleName

K.

Affiliation

Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.

Email

heba.khalifa@med.tanta.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

0000-0002-6953-1577

First Name

Aliaa

Last Name

Hodeib

MiddleName

Abd Elhakam

Affiliation

Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.

Email

aliaa.hodeib@med.tanta.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

0000-0003-2504-546x

Volume

12

Article Issue

2

Related Issue

51764

Issue Date

2024-12-01

Receive Date

2024-11-13

Publish Date

2024-12-01

Page Start

150

Page End

161

Print ISSN

2356-6515

Online ISSN

2356-6523

Link

https://esctj.journals.ekb.eg/article_396663.html

Detail API

https://esctj.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=396663

Order

396,663

Type

Original Article

Type Code

1,098

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Society of Clinical Toxicology Journal

Publication Link

https://esctj.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Pattern of Acute Intoxication by Substances of Abuse in Patients Admitted to Tanta University Poison Control Center.

Details

Type

Article

Created At

25 Dec 2024