Risk factors of acute poisoning by pesticides in El Salvador during the year 2017

Abstract

Introduction. The World Health Organization recognizes poisoning by pesticides as a serious public health problem. In El Salvador, about 900 pesticide poisonings are reported every year. Objective. Characterize the risk factors of acute poisoning by pesticides in El Salvador during the year 2017. Methodology. This is an analytical cross-sectional study based on the secondary analysis of a database extracted from the National Health Surveillance System of El Salvador. The database used is composed of 945 cases of poisoning. The data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Science version 24 program. Frequency, incidence, association and prevalence ratios were analyzed. Results The most intoxicated were men (70.7%). Half of the poisonings (50.3%) were due to suicide. The most implicated pesticides were paraquat (27.6%) and aluminum phosphide (13.4%). 11.3% of the poisoned, died. Suicide poisoning is more likely to have a serious outcome (PR = 1.90, IC95% = 1.71-2.11). People intoxicated with paraquat (RP = 1.33, IC95% = 1-1.76) or aluminum phosphide (RP = 4.32, 95% CI = 3.08-6.06) are more likely to die. Conclusion. Men accounted for the highest proportion of intoxicated. Cases of intoxication were more frequent in the rural area. Suicide was the main cause of pesticide poisoning. Paraquat and aluminum phosphide were the two pesticides most implicated in poisoning and those most related to deaths.