Acute pesticide poisoning related deaths in Tehran during the period 2003-2004

Acute pesticide poisoning is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Iran and worldwide. Determination of inducing factors in pesticide poisoning is very important parameter for planning of preventive and controlling programs. The aim of present study is assessing of effects of epidemiological variables on fatal pesticide poisoning. Data was obtained from autopsies on suspected pesticide poisoning deaths were performed in the Tehran Legal Medicine Center between 2003 and 2004. Among these medicolegal autopsies, fatal poisoning cases were evaluated retrospectively by reports of toxicological analysis. The variables such as age, sex, job, residential location, educational level, type of pesticide and cause of poisoning were reviewed. From total of 3885 autopsies referred to forensic toxicology laboratory for pesticide toxicology analysis, 51 (1.31%) deaths were due to pesticide poisoning. The age of cases was 32+/-17 years old. 63.3% of cases were male and 36.7% of them were female. The majority of cases (31.4%) were housekeeper and 23.5% were student. 66.7% of cases were lived in urban and 33.3% were lived in rural area. The most common type of poisoning was suicide (52.9%). 33.3% of cases had primary education. The common type of pesticide in this study was aluminum phosphide 18 (35.8%) and organophosphates 17 (33.3%). According to fatal aluminum phosphide poisoning, more stringent legislation and enforcement regarding the sale and distribution of this toxic substance is needed. Thus substitution of this pesticide with safer agents is necessary.