Author(s): Padmaja Raghavan, Amar R, Vinod C Nayak, Shankar M Bakkannavar, Smitha Nayak, Anjana Ramachandran
A prospective study was conducted from November 2007 to November 2009 in a tertiary care hospital at Manipal in Southern India, and a profile of the victims of pesticide poisoning was prepared. The objective of the study was to recognise the magnitude and pattern of poisoning in relation to the manner of consumption in this region of Southern India. In the present study, the young productive age group between 20-40 years were mostly affected. Males were predominantly affected. The most common compound was chlorpyrifos. Vomiting was the most common symptom. The most common sign was dilated pupils as against the usually observed sign of miosis which was attributed to atropine received from referral hospital. Among the complications, respiratory failure followed by pneumonia was commonly observed with severe pneumonia being the most common cause of mortality.