Title: An Epidemiological study of Pesticide Poisoning Cases in West Bengal
Authors: Alakesh Halder, Niloy Kumar Das, Tapas Sinha, Ashok Kumar Samanta
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i6.07
Abstract
Background: Pesticide poisoning is a major public health problem in developing countries like India. Its usage has increased in recent and thus increased even its misuse to commit suicide. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological profile of fatal pesticide poisoning cases in West Bengal.
Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at Department of Forensic Medicine, N.R.S. Medical College, Kolkata with the fatal pesticide poisoning cases from 2013 to 2014. All collected data was analyzed in all possible aspects, to identify risk factors, manner of death and other epidemiological factors etc.
Results: During the study period a total 1950 medico legal autopsies were conducted, amongst them poisoning were 250 (12.8%) cases. Out of these, 156 cases were due to fatal pesticide poisoning (62.4%). All collected data was analyzed in Microsoft office excels, after taking complete history and meticulous post mortem examination.
Conclusion: Agrochemical poisons, more so organophosphates are responsible for most of the poison related fatalities in the present study. Besides this, the establishment of specialized toxicological units for detection and management of poisoning cases at all hospitals and primary health care centers could considerably minimize the morbidity and mortality due to poisoning.
Keywords: Pesticide poisoning, Suicide, Rural area, Medico legal autopsy.
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