Original ResearchComparison of poisonings managed at military and Veterans Administration hospitals reported to Texas poison centers

- There is limited information on poisonings managed at military and veterans hospitals.
- Patients at veterans hospitals were more likely to be older and male.
- Poisonings managed at military hospitals were more likely to be intentional, particularly suspected attempted suicides.
- A higher proportion of poisonings managed at military hospitals involved more than one substance.
- Military hospital poisonings more often involved analgesics while VA hospitals more often involved anticonvulsants.

ObjectivesThere is little information on poisonings managed at military and Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals. This investigation described and compared poisonings reported to Texas poison centers that were managed at military and VA hospitals.Study designRetrospective analysis of poison centre data.MethodsCases were poisonings among patients aged 18 years or more reported to Texas poison centers during 2000-2015 where management occurred at a military or VA hospital. The distribution of exposures for various demographic and clinical factors was determined for military and veterans hospitals and comparisons were made between the two groups.ResultsThere were 4353 and 1676 poisonings managed at military and VA hospitals, resepctively. Males accounted for 50.5% of the military hospital patients and 84.9% of the VA hospital patients. The mean age for military hospital patients was 31 years and for VA hospital patients was 50 years. The proportion of poisonings managed at military hospitals and VA hospitals, respectively, were intentional (70.0% vs 64.1%), particularly suspected attempted suicide (57.3% vs 47.7%), and unintentional (25.0% vs 30.5%). More than one substance was reported in 37.7% of military and 33.2% of VA hospital poisonings. The most commonly reported substance categories for poisonings managed at military and VA hospitals, respectively, were analgesics (28.4% vs 19.7%), sedatives/hypnotics/antipsychotics (24.7% vs 23.4%), antidepressants (18.7% vs 19.7%) and alcohol (11.3% vs 10.6%).ConclusionsA number of differences were observed between poisonings managed at military and VA hospitals. These differing patterns of poisonings may need to be taken into account in the education, prevention and treatment of poisonings at these hospitals and among the populations they serve.