Toxicants Reported in Research on Fatal Toxic Exposure in Korea

Kang, Bo Seung

Abstract

PURPOSE: With the very wide range of known toxicants, the correct early management of fatal toxic exposure can be delayed. Past epidemiologic data on fatal toxic exposure would be helpful to emergency physician. The aim of this study was to investigate reports of toxicants on fatal toxicology research during the past two decades in Korea, with a focus on emergency symptoms.
METHODS
This study analyzed basic information and abstracts of about 200,000 articles from approximately 500 journals between 1980 to 2003, which were retrieved from Medical Research Information Center and Research Information Center for Health and focused on fatal toxicology related to emergency medicine. The search terms used were the names of toxicants and related terms.
RESULTS
A total of 88 toxicants were found to be related to research on fatal toxic exposure. The number of articles increased sharply after 1995. Frequently involved toxicants were carbon monoxide (in 93 articles), followed by paraquat (in 84), and organophosphate pesticide (in 37). Original articles exceeded case reports in number for these three most frequent toxicants. Articles on paraquat were more numerous than those on organophosphate pesticide or carbon monoxide especially after the late 1980s.
CONCLUSION
The result suggest that over a 24-year-period, carbon monoxide, paraquat, and organophosphate pesticides have been prominent in both the incidence and severity of fatal toxic exposure in Korea, which underscore the need for review of them.