Caracterización clínica de pacientes con intento suicida

OBJECTIVE: to describe the clinical characteristics of patients who were presented for suicide attempt at the emergency department of the Regional Hospital of Zacapa between 2020 and 2024. METHOD: a retrospective descriptive study was conducted in 138 patients who consulted for suicide attempts. RESULTS: The sex was female for the 60.14% and male for the 39.86%; age ranged from 10 to 20 years in 31.88%, from 20 to 30 years in 26.81%, and from 30 to 40 years in 21.02%; the origin was rural in 53.62%, from the municipality of Zacapa in 34.06%; 39.13% were homemakers and 19.57% farmers; furthermore, 44.20% had primary education. The frequency of patients who consulted for suicide attempts in 2024 was 26.81%. The return visit rate was 4.35%. The mechanism of self-harm was poisoning in 66.67% of cases, overdose in 24.63%, knife wound in 3.63%, self-harm in 2.90%, asphyxiation in 1.45%, and firearm in 0.72%. Medical management for patients presenting with suicide attempts included fluid therapy in 70.29%, gastric lavage in 2.19%, suturing in 4.35%, antidote in 1.45%, and emergency surgery in 0.72%. Mortality was 10.14%. CONCLUSION: a predominance of a female, young and rural profile was found with suicide attempts by poisoning or overdose.