Deliberate and accidental self-poisoning Principles of treatment Poison-specific measures General measures Specific poisonings: cyanide, methanol, ethylene glycol, hydrocarbons, volatile solvents, heavy metals, herbicides and pesticides, biological substances (overdose of medicinal drugs is dealt with under individual agents) Incapacitating agents: drugs used for torture drugs, and psychotropic drugs is increasing. Repeated episodes are not Prescribed drugs are used in over 75% of episodes but teenagers tend to favour nonprescribed analgesics available by direct sale, . paracetamol, which is important bearing in mind its potentially serious toxicity. The mortality rate of self-poisoning is very low (less than 1% of acute hospital. | SECTION 2 Poisoning overdose antidotes SYNOPSIS Deliberate and accidental self-poisoning Principles of treatment Poison-specific measures General measures Specific poisonings cyanide methanol ethylene glycol hydrocarbons volatile solvents heavy metals herbicides and pesticides biological substances overdose of medicinal drugs is dealt with under individual agents Incapacitating agents drugs used for torture drugs and psychotropic drugs is increasing. Repeated episodes are not Prescribed drugs are used in over 75 of episodes but teenagers tend to favour nonprescribed analgesics available by direct sale . paracetamol which is important bearing in mind its potentially serious toxicity. The mortality rate of self-poisoning is very low less than 1 of acute hospital admissions but completed suicides by poisoning still number 3500 per annum in England and Wales. Accidental self-poisoning causing admission to hospital occurs predominantly amongst children under 5 years usually with medicines left within their reach or with domestic chemicals . bleach detergents. Self-poisoning Principles of treatment Deliberate self-poisoning. A curious by-product of the modem drug and prescribing explosion is the rise in the incidence of nonfatal deliberate self-harm. The majority of people who do this lack serious suicidal intent and are therefore termed parasuicides. In over 90 of instances in the UK poisoning is the means chosen usually by medicines taken in overdose and these amount to at least 70 000 hospital admissions per annum in England and Wales population 51 million . Two or more drugs are taken in over 30 of episodes not including alcohol which is also taken in over 50 of the instances the use of hypnotic and sedative Successful treatment of acute poisoning depends on a combination of speed and common sense as well as on the nature of the poison the amount taken and the time which has since elapsed. The majority of those admitted to hospital require only .
