[Evaluation of the risk of acute poisoning with chemicals in inhabitants of Krakow in from 1983 to 1987].

In Kraków in 1983-1987 11,664 cases of acute poisoning by chemical substances were reported: 11,123 patients were hospitalized; 541 patients died before was given any medical intervention. Among those patients who were treated there were 9725 adult patients older than 14 years--hospitalized in Toxicological Department and 1398 children who were treated in the pediatric departments of many hospitals in Kraków. The cases of the poisoning due to suicidal attempt in the studied period mean 43% and during this time the decreasing tendency was evident (from 47.6% in 1983 to 34.4% in 1987). Narcotic and drug addicts covered only 2% of the whole material concerning the cases of the acute poisoning. Overall incidence rate of poisoning by chemical substances per 10,000 inhabitants of Kraków ranged from 33.9 in 1983 to 32.7 in 1987, and it was always higher in adult population (32.6 in 1983-35.0 in 1987) than in children (24.5 in 1983-23.4 in 1987). During the whole studied period and its successive years the most common poisoning was the poisoning due to: drugs (mean 50%), ethyl alcohol (mean 22%), and carbon monoxide (mean 18%). The highest incidence rate of the acute poisoning was presented to the hospital or clinic in January and October; on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays; between 12 p.m. and 12 a.m., whereas the lowest was noted during summer months; on Sunday; between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. Our studies gave us a real picture of the poisons the population in Kraków is exposed to; and total mortality rate amounts 0.8%, yet being calculated on the base of clinical studies goes up to 5.4% when forensic data are taken into account.