Alharbi Abdullah A, Muaddi Mohammed A, Binhotan Meshary S, Alqassim Ahmad Y, Alsultan Ali K, Arafat Mohammed S, Aldhabib Abdulrahman, Alaska Yasser A, Alwahbi Eid B, Sayedahmed Ghali, Alharthi Mobarak, Khan M Mahmud, Alabdulaali Mohammed K, Aljerian Nawfal A
Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan City 45142, Saudi Arabia.
Emergency Medical Services Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Feb 21;13(5):474. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13050474.
: Poisoning represents a significant global public health challenge, particularly with its complex manifestations in adult populations. Understanding regional epidemiology through digital health systems is crucial for developing evidence-based prevention and management strategies. This nationwide study analyzes hospital-based toxicology teleconsultation data from the Toxicology Consultation Service-Saudi Medical Appointments and Referrals Center (TCS-SMARC) platform to characterize the epidemiological patterns, clinical features, and outcomes of adult poisoning cases across Saudi regions. : We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 6427 adult poisoning cases where hospitals sought teleconsultation from the Saudi Toxicology Consultation Service (TCS) from January to December 2023. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze poisoning rates by demographic characteristics, agents responsible for the poisoning, clinical presentations, and management decisions. Population-adjusted rates were calculated using the national census data. Associations between variables were analyzed using cross-tabulations and chi-square tests. : Young adults aged 18-35 years constituted most cases (58.67%), with the highest population-adjusted rates observed among those aged 18-24 (5.15 per 10,000). Medicine-related poisonings were the most common across all regions (50.04%), followed by bites and stings (15.31%). Regional analysis indicated relatively uniform poisoning rates across Business Units (BUs) (2.02-2.74 per 10,000). Most cases (87.44%) were asymptomatic, with 91.71% exhibiting normal Glasgow Coma Scale scores, although substance abuse cases had higher rate of severe manifestations (24.34%). Significant seasonal variations were observed ( < 0.001), with peak incidents occurring in the summer (29.25%). Management decisions primarily involved hospital observation (40.27%) and admission (30.34%), with agent-specific variations in care requirements ( < 0.001). : This comprehensive analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of Saudi Arabia's digital health infrastructure in capturing and managing nationwide poisoning data. The integrated digital platform enables real-time surveillance, standardized triage, enhanced access to specialized toxicology services, and coordinated management across diverse geographical contexts. Our findings inform evidence-based recommendations for targeted prevention strategies, particularly for young adults and medicine-related poisonings, while establishing a scalable model for digital health-enabled poisoning management.
中毒是一项重大的全球公共卫生挑战，尤其是在成年人群体中其表现复杂。通过数字健康系统了解区域流行病学情况对于制定基于证据的预防和管理策略至关重要。这项全国性研究分析了来自毒理学咨询服务-沙特医疗预约与转诊中心（TCS-SMARC）平台的基于医院的毒理学远程会诊数据，以描述沙特各地区成年中毒病例的流行病学模式、临床特征及转归情况。
我们对2023年1月至12月期间医院向沙特毒理学咨询服务（TCS）寻求远程会诊的6427例成年中毒病例进行了回顾性横断面分析。使用描述性统计分析中毒率的人口统计学特征、中毒相关因素、临床表现及管理决策情况。利用全国人口普查数据计算人口调整率。使用交叉表和卡方检验分析变量之间的关联。
18至35岁的年轻成年人构成了大多数病例（58.67%），其中18至24岁人群的人口调整率最高（每10000人中有5.15例）。在所有地区，与药物相关的中毒最为常见（50.04%），其次是咬伤和蜇伤（15.31%）。区域分析表明各业务部门（BUs）的中毒率相对一致（每10000人中有2.02至2.74例）。大多数病例（87.44%）无症状，91.71%的患者格拉斯哥昏迷量表评分正常，不过药物滥用病例的严重表现发生率更高（24.34%）。观察到显著的季节性变化（<0.001），夏季中毒事件发生率最高（29.25%）。管理决策主要包括医院观察（40.27%）和住院（30.34%），不同中毒因素的护理需求存在差异（<0.001）。
这项综合分析证明了沙特阿拉伯数字健康基础设施在收集和管理全国中毒数据方面的有效性。该集成数字平台实现了实时监测、标准化分诊、增加了获得专业毒理学服务的机会，并在不同地理环境中进行了协调管理。我们的研究结果为针对性预防策略提供了基于证据的建议，特别是针对年轻成年人和与药物相关的中毒情况，同时建立了一个可扩展的数字健康支持的中毒管理模式。
