Background:
Because of the obvious increasing in the poisoning cases in the
recent decades . The aim of the study was to determine the
medicine groups that were used to commit suicide and suicide
attempts.
Methods:
Our study contained two sampl
es . . The first was 175 suicide
attempts ( 50 males, 125 females ), which were archives in the
Syrian poison information center in the period between 1998-1999.
These cases were divided into sex, age groups, incidence date The second was 84 suicide cases ( 54 males, 30 females ), which were archives in the medicolegal center in Damascus during the period between 1996 – 2000 . Out of 12 cases were because of using medicines, and the medicines classified according to the therapeutic medicinal groups.
Results:
Analgesics were used in 25.36% of all suicide attempts.
Paracetamol formed 94% out of it. The psychiatric tablets were
used 20.65%. The analgesics were used in 33.33% of all suicide cases. In one third of cases the persons used their own medicines.
The incidence of suicide attempts by using medicines for male:
female was 1:2.5. 48% of all suicide attempts were in the group 10- 20 years and 32% were in summer.
Conclusion: Most of suicide attempts by using medicines were due to paracetamol. So, we need other studies about suicide attempts in another cities .