[Acute poisoning among patients attended to in an emergency department: From the pre-pandemic period to the new normality]. / Intoxicaciones agudas atendidas en un servicio de urgencias. De la prepandemia a la nueva normalidad.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global changes that affect the daily life of the world's population, with a direct impact on individuals' physical and mental health as well as on their social and recreational habits. Methods: This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients attended to for acute poisoning in a hospital emergency department (ED) at three different periods of time: pre-pandemic (2019), after strict lockdown of the population in Spain (2020), and post-pandemic (2021). We analyzed 2 months (June and July) in each period. Results: A total of 1,182 cases of acute poisoning were included. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, during lockdown, the number of patients with acute poisoning decreased (2019: 1.9% vs. 2020: 1.5%; p<.01); the ratio of men to women increased (2.0 vs. 1.4; p=.02); and the mean age of patients increased (2019: 31.4 vs. 2020: 41.3; p<.001), a trend which continued in 2021 (38.3). Poisoning with suicidal intention also increased during the pandemic (2019: 8.71% vs. 2020: 21.0%; p<.01) whereas poisonings with a recreational intention declined (2019: 76.1% vs. 2020: 62.0%; p<.01) with a non-significant increase in 2021 (69.0%, p=.07). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic generated clinical and epidemiological changes in the acute poisonings attended to in a hospital emergency department during the various phases of the pandemic.

Acute poisoning among patients attended to in an emergency department: from the pre-pandemic period to the new normality.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global changes that affect the daily life of the world's population, with a direct impact on individuals' physical and mental health as well as on their social and recreational habits. METHODS: This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients attended to for acute poisoning in a hospital emergency department (ED) at three different periods of time: pre-pandemic (2019), after strict lockdown of the population in Spain (2020), and post-pandemic (2021). We analyzed 2 months (June and July) in each period. RESULTS: A total of 1,182 cases of acute poisoning were included. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, during lockdown, the number of patients with acute poisoning decreased (2019: 1.9% vs. 2020: 1.5%; p < 0.01); the ratio of men to women increased (2.0 vs. 1.4; p = 0.02); and the mean age of patients increased (2019: 31.4 vs. 2020: 41.3; p < 0.001), a trend which continued in 2021 (38.3). Poisoning with suicidal intention also increased during the pandemic (2019: 8.71% vs. 2020: 21.0%; p < 0.01) whereas poisonings with a recreational intention declined (2019: 76.1% vs. 2020: 62.0%; p < 0.01) with a non-significant increase in 2021 (69.0%, p = 0.07). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic generated clinical and epidemiological changes in the acute poisonings attended to in a hospital emergency department during the various phases of the pandemic.

Intoxicaciones agudas atendidas en un servicio de urgencias. De la prepandemia a la nueva normalidad / Acute poisoning among patients attended to in an emergency department: From the pre-pandemic period to the new normality

Fundamentos La pandemia por COVID-19 ha provocado cambios globales que afectan a la vida diaria de la población mundial, con un impacto directo sobre la salud física y mental de los individuos, así como en sus hábitos sociales y recreativos. Métodos Análisis retrospectivo de aspectos demográficos y clínicos de los pacientes atendidos por intoxicaciones agudas en un servicio de urgencias hospitalario durante 3 períodos distintos: prepandemia (2019), tras el confinamiento domiciliario (2020) y en el período pospandémico (2021), analizando en cada uno los meses de junio y julio. Resultados Se incluyeron 1.182 intoxicaciones agudas. En relación con la etapa prepandémica, el número de intoxicados disminuyó durante el confinamiento (2019: 1,9 vs. 2020: 1,5%; p<0,01), incrementándose la ratio varón/mujer (2,0 vs. 1,4; p=0,02) y la edad media (2019: 31,4 vs. 2020: 41,3; p<0,001), tendencia que se mantuvo en el año 2021 (38,3). La intoxicación con motivación suicida también aumentó en dicho período (2019: 8,71 vs. 2020: 21,0%; p<0,01), mientras que las lúdicas decrecieron (2019: 76,1 vs. 2020: 62,0%; p<0,01), con un aumento no significativo en el último año 2021 (69,0%; p=0,07). Conclusiones La pandemia por COVID-19 ha generado cambios clínicos y epidemiológicos en las intoxicaciones agudas atendidas en un servicio de urgencias hospitalario durante las distintas fases de la pandemia (AU)

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global changes that affect the daily life of the world's population, with a direct impact on individuals’ physical and mental health as well as on their social and recreational habits. Methods This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients attended to for acute poisoning in a hospital emergency department (ED) at three different periods of time: pre-pandemic (2019), after strict lockdown of the population in Spain (2020), and post-pandemic (2021). We analyzed 2 months (June and July) in each period. Results A total of 1,182 cases of acute poisoning were included. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, during lockdown, the number of patients with acute poisoning decreased (2019: 1.9% vs. 2020: 1.5%; p<.01); the ratio of men to women increased (2.0 vs. 1.4; p=.02); and the mean age of patients increased (2019: 31.4 vs. 2020: 41.3; p<.001), a trend which continued in 2021 (38.3). Poisoning with suicidal intention also increased during the pandemic (2019: 8.71% vs. 2020: 21.0%; p<.01) whereas poisonings with a recreational intention declined (2019: 76.1% vs. 2020: 62.0%; p<.01) with a non-significant increase in 2021 (69.0%, p=.07). Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic generated clinical and epidemiological changes in the acute poisonings attended to in a hospital emergency department during the various phases of the pandemic (AU)