Patterns of pharmaceutical poisoning teleconsultations in Saudi Arabia: a retrospective study of community-based toxicity calls through the national toxicology consultation services

作者：Abdullah A. Alharbi, Mohammed A. Muaddi, Meshary Binhotan, Ahmad Y. Alqassim, Ali K. Alsultan, Mohammed Arafat, Abdulrahman Aldhabib, Yasser A. Alaska, Eid B. Alwahbi, Siddig İbrahim Abdelwahab, Nawfal A. Aljerian, Mohammed K. Alabdulaali · 发表于：Figshare · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.6084/m9.figshare.33071610.v1 · 研究领域：Poisoning and overdose treatments、Pharmaceutical studies and practices、Burn Injury Management and Outcomes

Pharmaceutical-related toxic exposures represent a significant global health concern. This study analyzed teleconsultation data from the national Toxicology Consultation Services hotline to understand patterns of teleconsultations for pharmaceutical toxicity cases, demographic characteristics, and management dispositions. This nationwide cross-sectional study conducted in Saudi Arabia analyzed medication-related toxicity cases reported through public calls to the national toxicology hotline in 2023. Data were analyzed for demographic patterns, therapeutic medication classifications, clinical presentations, and management decisions made by Specialist in Poison Information providers. Of 19,317 teleconsultations analyzed in 2023, children younger than five years accounted for 61.4% ( n = 11,864) of cases, with toddlers (<3 years old) demonstrating the highest population-adjusted consultation rate (68.47 per 10,000). Females had higher population-adjusted consultation rates than males (7.85 versus 4.83 per 10,000, P < 0.001). Analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents were the most frequently implicated medications (30.4%, n = 5,871), predominating in pediatric exposures (up to 45.5%, n = 378 in infants), whereas cardiovascular agents were most common among the elderly (46%, n = 312). Age was significantly associated with medication category (chi-square test, P < 0.001). Most patients were asymptomatic (97.4%, n = 18,821), and home observation was recommended for...