European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Multicenter Study
National multicentre study of acute intoxication in emergency departments of Spain.
No studies have been published on global acute intoxication in Spanish emergency departments. We therefore designed a multicentre study to identify the epidemiology and management of intoxicated patients in Spain. ⋯ We recorded a slightly lower incidence than other European countries with the same epidemiological profile, except for a low incidence of acetaminophen cases. If we apply the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists gastric lavage criteria, there were an important number of unnecessary gut decontamination techniques in drug poisoning. Most patients were treated in emergency departments, without hospital admission.