ABSTRACTS
Characterization of Suicidal Drug Poisoning at the San José University Children's Hospital and San José Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic (March 2020–March 2022)Author: Patricia Caro, Karne Diaz, and Maria Alejandra Jímenez | | Associate Authors:
Introduction: COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. In Colombia, beginning March 25, 2020, strict and mandatory measures of social isolation were implemented, affecting the daily routine of the general population. Social isolation measures could potentially trigger aberrant behaviors and increase the risk of suicide. Objective: To characterize the presentation of drug intoxications with suicidal intent during confinement at the Hospital Infantil Universitario de San José and Hospital de San José during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020–March 2022). Methods: A descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study was performed for a population of patients with a diagnosis of suicidal drug intoxication during confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic at two hospitals in Bogota, Colombia. Pregnant women were excluded. Results: A total of 288 patients were included in the study. The pediatric group accounted for 33% of the population studied. The most common pharmacological groups used in the population studied included multiple drugs (41%), followed by nonnarcotic analgesics (23%). Multiple drugs and nonnarcotic analgesics were more prevalent in cases of poisoning in women than in men (77.8% and 22.2%, respectively). Conclusion: An approximation of suicidal drug intoxications is presented. The most frequent method of suicidal drug intoxication was the polydrug combination, followed by the use of easily available drugs such as analgesics and antidepressants.
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