Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department Faculty of medicine Ain Shams University and Poison Control Center Ain Shams University Hospitals, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
This work aims at the study of the socio demographic and drug history profile of acute barbiturates overdosed Egyptian Patients admitted to PCCA during the year 2009. Data on demographic and drug intake features were extracted from available patients' sheets and from the information unit Of PCCA. The socio-demographic profile showed that age group most affected was adolescents especially teenagers (60%). The majority of cases were males (89.%). Almost all subjects were single (98%) and 60.6% of them were from urban background. 88. % of subjects were unemployed, 81% of social class type (IV).
The results suggest evidence of socio-environmental factors correlated to barbiturates abuse.
Nationwide continuous data collection and statistical analysis to detect changes in drug abuse modalities and publishing of these data for public beneficiaries the usual medical and law enforcement statistics are of little assistance in assessing the extent of non-medical use.
