Objective To study the demographic characteristics of epidemic and sporadic acute poisonings in Guangxi areas, and to provide basis for preventive and control countermeasures in these areas.
Methods Data on patients involved with epidemic (n=641) and sporadic (n=5 369) acute poisonings during 2005-2009 were retrieved from 36 municipal hospitals, 12 county level hospitals, and 15 township health centers across 11 cities of Guangxi for comparative analysis.
Results In the epidemic acute poisoning events, the proportion of female (56.79%), <25 years old (62.40%), primary school education level (32.63%), students (34.32%), and urban residents (59.47%) were higher than the other corresponding categories. In the sporadic acute poisoning events, the proportion of female (52.71%), >26 years old (56.79%), middle school education level (45.43%), farmers (50.78%), and rural residents (64.37%) were higher than the other corresponding categories. There were significant differences in gender, age group, education level, occupation, and residential location between the epidemic and the sporadic acute poisoning cases (P < 0.05).
Conclusion The differences in demographic characteristics are obvious between patients with epidemic and sporadic acute poisonings in Guangxi. Young students in urban areas account for the largest proportion of patients with epidemic acute poisonings, and farmers over 26 years old in rural areas account for the largest population of patients with sporadic acute poisonings. Further studies should be made to compare poisoning processes, environment, causes, and toxicants between epidemic and sporadic acute poisoning cases.
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