[High mortality from both natural and unnatural causes. A 10-year follow-up of patients admitted to a center for poisoning treatment after attempted suicide]. / Høj dødelighed af naturlige og unaturlige årsager. En tiårs-opfølgningsundersøgelse af patienter indlagt på en forgiftningscentral efter selvmordsforsøg.

While it is well known that suicide rates for suicide attempters are high, mortality rates for all causes needed to be more thoroughly investigated. A Danish 10-year follow-up study of patients who in 1980 were admitted to a poisoning treatment centre after attempted suicide was carried out with the purpose of describing mortality by suicide and other causes of death, and to identify predictive factors. A total of 974 patients aged 15 and over referred to a poisoning treatment centre after deliberate self-poisoning were included in the study. Death by different causes registered in the Danish Death Cause Register was the outcome measure. Over a 10-year follow-up period 306 patients had died; 103 by suicide, 131 from natural causes, 31 by accidents, five were murdered and in 36 cases the cause of death was uncertain. The Standard Mortality Rate (SMR) was 550. The cause-specific SMRs were for suicide 2960, for natural causes 236, for accidents 1256 and for uncertain causes 5459. In Cox-regression analysis high-risk factors for later suicide were more than one previous suicide attempt (relative risk (RR) 2.25), living alone (RR 2.28) and age (RR 1.03 per year). Predictors of death by natural causes were pension (RR 1.69), drug abuse (RR 2.72), more than one previous suicide attempt (RR 2.25), age (RR 1.06 per year) and male sex (RR 2.49). The group of patients fulfilling at least one high-risk criteria for later suicide differed significantly from the rest of the patient group regarding frequency of suicide, but both sensitivity and specificity remain low.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

High mortality by natural and unnatural causes: a 10 year follow up study of patients admitted to a poisoning treatment centre after suicide attempts.

OBJECTIVE: To describe mortality by suicide and other causes of death in a group of patients who attempted suicide, and to identify predictive factors. DESIGN: 10 year follow up study based on records of suicide attempters in 1980. SETTING: Poisoning treatment centre at a general hospital. SUBJECTS: 974 patients aged 15 and over referred to the poisoning treatment centre after deliberate self poisoning. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Death by different causes registered in the Danish death cause register. RESULTS: In 10 years of follow up 306 patients died: 103 by suicide, 131 from natural causes, and 31 by accident; five were murdered, and in 36 cases the cause of death was uncertain. The standard mortality ratio was 550. Cause specific standardised mortality rates were 2960 for suicide, 236 for natural causes, 1256 for accidents, and 5459 for uncertain causes. In a Cox regression analysis, high risk factors for subsequent suicide were: more than one previous suicide attempt (relative risk 2.25), living alone (2.28), and age (1.03 per year). Predictors of death by natural causes were receiving a pension (1.69), drug misuse (2.72), more than one previous suicide attempt (2.25), age (1.06 per year), and male sex (2.49). The group of patients fulfilling at least one high risk criterion for later suicide differed significantly from the rest of the patient group in incidence of suicide, but both sensitivity and specificity were low. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients who attempted suicide were at high risk of succeeding because the risk factors, though significant, are not very specific. A strategy to prevent suicide must be directed toward the majority of those who attempt suicide.

Pharmacokinetics of cimetidine in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

In order to establish improved guidelines for dosage adjustments of cimetidine before and during hemodialysis, the kinetics of this drug was investigated in 7 uremic patients undergoing regular hemodialysis. The absorption fraction was found to be 0.75 (range 0.61-0.86), the terminal half-life in plasma between 138 and 238 min, the total body clearance (Cltotal) between 178 and 337 ml/min, and the apparent volume of distribution about 1 l/kg. During hemodialysis no excess amounts of cimetidine were removed from serum. In 3 patients a weak rebound phenomenon was seen after hemodialysis. Based on the Cltotal obtained in this study, dosage schemes producing a 24-hours mean steady state concentration from 0.60 (2.38) to 1.20 (4.76) mg/l (mumol/l) are suggested.

Inter-laboratory comparison of acid-base variable in human blood and in quality control materials.

Routine results, pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and of oxygen (pO2), and standard hydrogen carbonate ion concentration (SBC) in identical specimens of arterial blood from patients deviate substantially. The results from seven laboratories (each laboratory examining the same 12 patients and the same five types of quality control materials) and evaluation in terms of accuracy and precision suggest the variations between days (delta 2) and single measurements (sigma 2) to be the main factors for these deviations. A reduction of these variations must have the highest priority in quality control programmes, since the variations mask possible true level deviations between laboratories. The five control materials (Qualicheck, Quantra whole blood level I-II-III and hemolyzed donor blood) are not fully optimal as substitutes for patient blood in such quality control programmes.

Improved effect of hemodialysis on acidemic patients from an acetate concentration of 38 mmol/l.

A high frequency of metabolic acidosis in a group of 30 patients on regular dialysis treatment initiated a study of the effect (and possible side effects) of a higher concentration of acetate in the dialysate. The concentration of acetate in the dialysate was increased from 32.6 ('low ac') to 38.2 mmol/l ('high ac'). The 'low ac' dialysis treatment changes the metabolic acidoses (mean pH = 7.34; base excess, BEb = - 8.3 mmol/l) to chronic hypocapnia (pH = 7.40; BEb = - 5.4 mmol/l). 'High ac' normalized the acid base status (pH = 7.44; BEb = -0.6 mmol/l). No side effects occurred. Since PaCO2 does not change much during hemodialysis it is convenient to look at the linearly related changes of the pH and the logarithmic standard bicarbonate concentration along iso-PCO2 lines in a log standard bicarbonate-pH-nomogram.

Elimination of oral cimetidine in chronic renal failure and during haemodialysis.

1 The absorption and elimination of a single oral dose of 400 mg cimetidine was studied in fourteen fasting patients with impaired renal function. In addition, the dialysance of cimetidine was studied in five patients on haemodialysis. 2 The absorption was somewhat, but clinically insignificantly delayed. A second unexplained peak in the absorption curve was found. 3 First order elimination kinetics were confirmed and the length of time of a cimetidine concentration over 0.5 mg/l could be correlated with creatinine clearance. 4 The magnitude of extra renal elimination was estimated to be approximately one fourth of total cimetidine elimination in normal patients and seemed unaffected by impaired renal function. 5 A dose schedule based on AUC found in the patients in renal failure is suggested. The recommendations for daily oral dose range from 300 mg (at borderline dialysis) to 1000 mg in mild renal failure. The suggested doses will give an average plasma concentration of the same order as seen in patients with normal renal function.