Abstract
Objective : Patients with drug overdoses often have a history of psychological illness, and few hospitals provide emergency care for these patients. We believe the necessity for hospitalization is a key factor for those hospitals. If there are some predictable factors for hospitalization, it is possible to deliver adequate levels of hospitalization for patients with drug overdose by using those factors.
Materials and Methods : We retrospectively analyzed 611 patients with drug overdose who were admitted to our hospital in the last 4 years. The patients' background and patient information were obtained from emergency services before the patients arrived at our hospital, and the content of the diagnosis, treatment and outcome were examined and analyzed. The relativity of hospitalization was statistically analyzed on the basis of patient background, patient information, and hospitalization.
Results : No patients died, and 289 patients (47%) required hospitalization. No difference in the severity of drug overdose was observed in male and female patients. Factors associated with a high hospitalization rate were old age (p=0.0006), severe disturbance of consciousness (p=0.0001), and severe overdose (p<0.0001). No significant differences were observed in cases with a history of psychiatric consultation, referral to the hospital more than 3 hours after drug overdose and presence of attending personnel.
Conclusions : Hospitalization of patients with drug overdose was associated with severe disturbance of consciousness, old age, and severe overdose. In contrast, hospitalization was not associated with a history of psychiatric consultation, referral to the hospital within 3 hours after drug overdose or an absence of attending personnel. For those patients, necessity of hospitalization is not an appropriate reason for refusing admission. The treatment of drug overdose is not difficult if specific knowledge is available. Extensive dissemination of specific knowledge of the treatments of drug overdose is important for prompt delivery of care for patients with drug overdose.
