CLINICAL PROFILE OF ORGANOPHOSPHOROUS POISONING: A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY

BACKGROUND: Pesticides poisoning constitutes one of the most frequent poisoning in clinical practice all over the country and especially in this area where agriculture is the chief economic occupation. Acute organophosphorous poisoning ranks foremost in the list of agents which causes acute pesticide poisoning in the developing countries. Acute poisoning, accidental or due to deliberate ingestion or inhalation of these organophosphate chemicals is an important and one of the most common medical emergencies. Hence the present study is undertaken to evaluate demography and the clinical profile of organophosphorous poisoning cases admitted in Government General Hospital, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: Assessment of demography and the clinical profile of 50 patients with Organophosphorous poisoning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this descriptive study fifty patients with organophosphorous insecticide poisoning were evaluated by clinical examination. They were investigated and the results were analyzed. RESULTS: 1. The OP poisoning was most common in young adult males between the age group 16-30 years i.e 62% mostly belonging to rural area i.e 72%. 2. Oral route of exposure is the most common mode of poisoning i.e in 84% of cases often with suicidal intent. While accidental inhalational exposure and/or skin contact is evident in 16% of cases only. 3. Chlorpyriphos and monocrotophos (together 66%) were the most commonly used pesticides of the organophosphorous group in the present study. 4. CNS manifestations (82% of cases) in the form of altered sensorium, muscular twitchings/fasciculations were the most common presentation, apart from vomiting probably related to oral ingestion. Miosis is observed in 66% of cases only. 5.36% of patients presented with respiratory manifestations in the form of frothing, cough and pulmonary secretions while frank pulmonary edema was noticed in 22% of case.