A Retrospective Observational Study on the Clinical Profile and Risk factors of severity in Organophosphorus poisoning in a Tertiary care Teaching Hospital

Background: Organophosphorus (OP) poisoning is a critical public health issue, necessitating emergency medical intervention due to its severe toxic effects. This study aims to evaluate the clinical profile, complications, and outcomes of OP poisoning in a tertiary care setting. Material & Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 118 patients with acute OP poisoning admitted from November 2021 to October 2023 in Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, and Jharkhand. Patients were evaluated based on socio-demographic variables, clinical manifestations, treatment received and outcomes. Diagnosis of the poisoning was based on the clinical history, clinical features and the evidence of the poison brought by the patients or their family member. We don’t have the facility of serum/red blood cell cholinesterase level estimation in our hospital. We used the Peradeniya Organophosphorus Poisoning (POP) scale to assess poisoning severity. Results: Most patients (66.1%) were aged 21-40 years, predominantly male (79.7%). Methyl Parathion was the most common poison (23.7%). Muscarinic and nicotinic symptoms were prevalent, with 40% requiring mechanical ventilation. Mortality was 25.4%, with respiratory failure being the leading cause. Severe cases exhibited significantly higher atropine requirements with more mortality. The mean hospital stay was longer for severe cases (13.5 ± 4.29 days). Conclusion: OP poisoning predominantly common young males and requires judicious clinical suspicion of its occurrence, and prompt medical intervention to prevent severe complications and mortality.