EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MEDICATION POISONING IN BRAZIL: A CROSS-CROSS-SET STUDY

Abstract

Objective: Characterize the epidemiological profile of drug poisonings in Brazil, aiming to identify the poisoning profile in different age groups. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases of the Unified Health System. Notifications of exogenous poisonings caused by drugs registered from 2013 to 2022 were selected. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using the Chi-Square test, along with a post-hoc analysis using Adjusted Standardized Residuals. The adopted significance level was 5%. Results: In Brazil, between 2013 and 2022, 672,910 cases of Exogenous Medication Poisoning were reported, with 66.6% confirmed. The monthly average was 3,737 cases, with a standard deviation of 1,454. The highest incidences occurred in the Southern region (37.23 cases per 10,000 inhabitants), in the age group of 15 to 19 years (47.74 cases per 10,000 inhabitants), among females (33.58 cases per 10,000 inhabitants), and among white individuals (22.64 cases per 10,000 inhabitants). Most poisonings were due to suicide attempts (72.48%), with a single acute exposure (66.92%), outside the occupational environment (90.91%), and resulted in recovery without sequelae (83.25%). There was a significant association between age groups and circumstances, type of exposure, exposure in the occupational environment, and case outcome (p<0.001). Conclusion: This study identifies different patterns of drug poisonings in Brazil, with emphasis on the Southern region and young people aged 15 to 19, women, and white individuals. Most poisonings resulted from suicide attempts, with recovery without sequelae. Public policies and adapted educational programs are essential to reduce drug poisonings in the country.