Characteristics of Organophosphate Poisoned Patients Admitted to Emergency Hospital

Poisoning with organophosphates is a great health hazard particularly in the developing countries especially in rural areas. It acts by inhibition of true cholinesterase and plasma cholinesterase enzymes leading to severe cholinergic toxidrome. This work was performed to assess demographic and clinical findings of organophosphates-poisoned cases among patients admitted to Mansoura Emergency Hospital and to find out the correlation between clinical findings and level of plasma cholinesterase enzyme. A cross sectional study was done from 3rd march 2014 to 1st November 2016 where 120 organophosphates-poisoned patients were included in the work. Demographic data, clinical findings and level of plasma cholinesterase were assessed. The mean age of cases was 34 years. Female to male ratio was 1.6: 1. Poisoning was more common in married than non-married persons (78.4% and 21.6 % respectively). Self-poisoned cases represented 67.5 %. No homicidal cases were recorded. Majority of cases were housewives (46. 6%), farmers (31. 6%), students (17.5 %) and shop-keepers (2.5%). 76.6% of patients were from rural area while urban cases represented 23.4%. The oral route of exposure represented 85% of patients while cases exposed to poison through skin contamination and inhalation constituted 15 %. The main clinical manifestations observed were miosis (91.6 % of cases). vomiting (85.8 %), fasciculations (56.1%), abdominal colic (51.6 %), generalized weakness (28.8%), coma not responding to painful stimuli (11.6 %), defecation (5 %) and convulsions (3.3 %). Deceased cases represented 8.3 % of patients. A poor correlation was found between plasma cholinesterase enzyme and clinical findings.