[Epidemiologic survey of acute poisoning in the south area of the community of Madrid. The VEIA 2000 Study].
OBJECTIVE: Extensive observational studies of acute intoxications (AI) allow the detection of trend changes indispensable for the design of preventive actions. VEIA is an evolutional study of AI attended at the Emergency Services of the Hospital "Doce de Octubre" of Madrid over all-round annual periods (1979, 1985, 1990, 1994 and 1997); we present the results of 2000 and compare them with those of previous years. METHODS AND RESULTS: An identical method was used. The hospital attended 1,128 AI, 88% of them voluntary. There were 451 suicide attempts. Forty four per cent of drugs involved were benzodiazepines. Alcohol represented 75% of non-pharmacological toxic substances and drugs, 19%. CONCLUSIONS: An increase of AI caused by alcohol and drugs was observed among women, as well as a decrease of suicide attempts, which reflects an approximation of man/woman roles. An aging trend was observed in suicide attempts (Is suicide "outmoded" among young people?), along with two patterns: Suicide attempts with drugs had a mortality rate of 0.1% and suicide attempts without drugs, of 3%. Two out of five men attempting suicide had drug addictions. There had been a reduction of benzodiazepines use and substitution of aspirin for paracetamol and of other analgesics for NSAID. Alcohol was the predominant non-pharmacological toxic substance, but had decreased 11%. Drugs, that had surpassed the traditional poisons (gases, solvents, etc.) represented 40% more than in 1997. When 1994 and 2000 were compared, heroine had not changed significantly, but cocaine had increased from 13 cases to 67 and amphetamines type MDMA had increased geometrically.