Hospital admissions for acute drug poisoning in adults and children: a 7-year retrospective analysis of hospital discharges at a tertiary center.

BACKGROUND

Drug poisoning is a growing public health concern, affecting both adult and pediatric populations. The COVID-19 pandemic has further influenced the incidence and patterns of these episodes. This study describes the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of drug poisoning episodes in adult and pediatric patients treated at a tertiary hospital in Spain between 2018 and 2024.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This retrospective, observational, single-center study used data from the Spanish Minimum Basic Data Set of Hospital Discharges (CMBD-AH). All hospitalizations coded with a diagnosis of drug poisoning (ICD-10-ES: T36-T50) were included. Variables analyzed included demographics, type of admission, drug class involved, intentionality, length of stay, ICU admission and duration, and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 2,989 episodes with at least one drug poisoning code were identified in 2,481 patients (85.7% adults; 14.3% pediatric). The median age was 55 years in adults and 14 years in pediatric patients. Females predominated in both groups. Self-poisoning was the most frequent intentionality (52.4% in adults; 54.7% in pediatric patients), while accidental poisonings were more common in pediatric patients under 12 and adults over 60. Benzodiazepines were the most frequently involved drug-class across all age groups; in pediatric self-poisoning, paracetamol was most commonly implicated. ICU admission was required in 9.6% of pediatric and 9.2% of adult episodes. Mortality was reported in 3.3% of adult and 0.5% of pediatric episodes. Additionally, 12.5% of patients experienced recurrent episodes. A significant post-COVID increase in poisoning episodes was observed (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Although drug poisoning represented only 1.7% of all hospital discharges, it posed a substantial burden due to its frequency, recurrence, and ICU requirements. The CMBD-AH is a valuable tool for characterizing drug-related hospitalizations across age groups. Strengthened toxicovigilance, targeted prevention strategies, and early mental health interventions are essential to reduce its impact on healthcare systems.