Treatment of Acute Self-Poisoning in a Respiratory Intensive Care Unit: A 5-Year Review

This article discusses a study of 103 cases of drug-related attempted suicides admitted to the intensive care unit of a Cape Town, South Africa, hospital, over a 5-year period (1980-1984). This group constituted 4.8% of all patients admitted for acute self-poisoning. The majority of patients made an uneventful recovery (survival rate 91.7%). No association was found between initial admission status & ultimate recovery. Haemofusion was useful in treating patients with severe barbituate poisoning.