Trends of Acute Poisoning Cases Occurring at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

  • DG Nyamu
  • CK Maitai
  • LW Mecca
  • EM Mwangangi

Abstract

A retrospective study of poisoned patients admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) over the period between January 2002 and June 2003 was carried out. KNH is a national referral and university teaching hospital and patients are admitted from all parts of Kenya. The results of the study are therefore expected to mirror closely the situation in the rest of the country. Data analysis showed that 58.9% of poisoned patients were males. Pesticides and household/industrial chemicals, the two most important poisoning agents, accounted for 43% and 24% of poisoning, respectively. Organophosphates and rodenticides were the two most common pesticides accounting for 57.4% and 31% of poisoning, respectively. Kerosene accounted for 66% of poisoning with household agents. Self-poisoning was prevalent in the age bracket 21-30 years (70.7%) while accidental poisoning, mostly with kerosene, was prevalent in the age group 0-5 years (83.9%). The overall mortality rate from poisoning was 7.0%.

Keywords: Poisoning in Kenya, organophosphates, kerosene

East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 15 (2012) 29-34

Author Biographies

DG Nyamu
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya
CK Maitai
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi-Kenya
LW Mecca
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi-Kenya
EM Mwangangi
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya
Published
2014-09-10
Section
Articles

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1026-552X